Lake levels continue to drop

UNDATED - North Georgia lakes continue to take a hit because of the drought.

Lake Hartwell and the other lakes on the Savannah River have now reached Drought Level 2, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

That means the Corps has begun restricting the flow of water from both Hartwell and Thurmond dams.

Lake Lanier, meanwhile, is now more than 8 feet below full pool - meaning it is down another foot since August 8. The level early Tuesday morning was 1062.79.

The level at Hartwell remained slightly above 654 feet, almost six feet below normal summer pool. Thurmond receded to 323.9, slightly more than six feet below normal summer pool. Since April 1 when both lakes dropped below normal pool, the basin has been short 10.5 inches of rain, approximately 50 percent of normal.

At Action Level 2 under the current Drought Contingency Plan the discharge from Thurmond Dam is reduced to a weekly average of 4,500 cubic feet per second. Flows from Hartwell and Russell Lakes are adjusted to keep the pools in balance. The lakes last reached Action Level 2 in Aug. 2001.

During the current drought the lakes reached Action Level 1 on July 27, initiating a public safety information campaign. There are no flow restrictions for Action Level 1 under the plan.

Limiting flows from the dams reduces the amount of water available for power generation, which has prompted the Southeastern Power Administration to purchase electricity from other sources for its retail customers.

Lower lake levels also have impacted recreation leaving some designated swimming areas with little water and exposing stumps and rocks normally deep underwater. Marked boating channels remain safe, but boaters and swimmers should exercise extreme caution when venturing outside marked zones and when using boat ramps and docks. Dock owners will need to adjust their docks as the lakes continue to recede. These dangers make the use of life jackets more important than ever, officials urged.

Extended forecasts for the Savannah River basin predict continued below normal rainfall.