Level of Lanier rising

BUFORD - Lake Lanier appears to be holding its own despite an unusually dry late winter and early spring. It is in the best shape of any major lake in north Georgia as we begin hearing talk of another drought in the state.

State Climatologis David Stooksbury said Monday that several streams across Georgia have hit record low flows.

The level of Lake Lanier was .7 feet below full pool Tuesday morning. Full pool is 1071 (or one thousand, seventy-one feet above sea level). The level Tuesday morning was 1070.3.

Of the other major lakes in north Georgia, Blue Ridge is 16.6 feet below full pool, Burton is two-tenths of a foot above full pool, Chatuge is nearly six feet below full pool, and Nottely is down by 16.1 feet. All are in the Blue Ridge/Hiawassee/Blairsville area and such readings are not that unusual for them this time of the year.

Lake Hartwell is at 658.7 - down about 1.3 feet and Lake Allatoona, where full pool is 840, is at 837.9.

Stooksbury's remarks Monday came a year after Georgia broke free of a five-year drought.

``Our last hope of a major recharge (of soil moisture) is quickly diminishing,'' he said. ``We really have passed the time period we normally would have good (rainfall).''

State Environmental Protection Division officials, who can call for a ban on outdoor watering and other mandatory water conservation measures, are monitoring the situation, spokesman Kevin Chambers said.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)