Drought persists, but not panic

By Stacy Shelton

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday, October 03, 2008

Last October, Lake Lanier —- metro Atlanta’s primary water source —- was nearly five feet higher than it is today.

All year, the lake has set daily low records. Thursday, it was 17 feet below full.

Hurricane Fay dropped more than a half-foot of water in late August, but September was extremely dry. Less than an inch of rain fell in the lake area.

This week, the U.S. Drought Monitor forecast a continuing drought through December for the North Georgia river basin that feeds Lake Lanier.

But unlike today, this time last year the state was in full crisis mode. It imposed a near-total ban on outdoor watering, and Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency. He also told North Georgia to reduce total water use by 10 percent or face fines.

So why isn’t the drought making as much news this year? EPD spokesman Kevin Chambers gave three reasons:

> The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is releasing far less water from Lanier, a daily average of 425 million gallons, or 38 percent less this September than last.

> Smaller reservoirs have refilled, and some vulnerable systems are buying water from neighbors.

> Water conservation is working. Metro Atlanta is still under tight restrictions on outdoor water use. That, plus individual and corporate efforts, brought North Georgia water use down 24 percent in August compared with August 2007, according to the state.