GAINESVILLE - The Army Corps of Engineers Operations Project Manager for Lake Lanier told Gainesville Kiwanis Club members Tuesday that raising the lake's level would take a Congressional authorization and there is no budget for it.
Supporters of raising the lake one foot maintain it would have the effect of creating another reservoir; Tim Rainey said the Corps would have to consider the impact on the entire river system, it would reduce flood storage, and they would have to have approval and money.
"We don't have any such authorization or the funding or appropriations to study the re-allocation," Rainey said.
Rainey, the club's featured speaker, said a new lake operations manual from the Corps would not be ready until 2012, the same year a federal court ruling cutting the lake off as a water source would take effect. Rainey said he expects the Corps to issue a plan draft for public review next year and three things could change it, all relating to last year's decision by federal district judge Paul Magnuson.
"Any actions taken on the court appeals, any agreement between the three new governors, or Congressional action," Rainey said.
Rainey does not expect his job as Lake Manager would change much if Magnuson's ruling takes effect except that he would no longer be releasing water downtown stream for Atlanta's use.
"The big difference is we're not going to be making releases to meet 750 downstream at Peachtree," he said. "We're going to be making releases to meet 600 right below the dam. Other than that, we're going to operate as normal."
Friday
October 18th, 2024
8:26AM
