They've scheduled a meeting Wednesday to discuss the state's water supply. A declaration of a drought would tighten current restrictions on homeowners and businesses for lawn sprinkling and other outdoor water use.
The Army Corps of Engineers over the weekend said a faulty gauge used to measure the level of the lake means Lanier is actually about two feet lower than the Corps had been reporting. The lake is five feet below full pool instead of three.
A Corps spokesman says less water will be released from Lanier from now on. He says the water that is released will be to meet water supply needs downstream and protect downstream endangered species.
The corps says it released an excess 420 (m) million gallons of water a day since April to boost levels in the Chattahoochee River and the Apalachicola River. For weeks, owners of homes and businesses in the Lake Lanier area have called the corps to tell the agency the reported lake level was wrong.
Governor Perdue and other Georgia officials have been critical of the Corps for water releases this year. They say the corps has released too much water to protect endangered species downstream in Florida without considering the needs of Georgia.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/6/108511