With levels on Lake Lanier continuing to drop, the Lake Lanier Association has again started its scouting report program to identify shoreline and other hazards ahead of its annual Shore Sweep event.
Executive Director Joanna Cloud told Georgia News Network over the weekend that with the water level down nearly five feet (1066.45 on Monday morning), trash that has made its way into the water is more visible.
She said some unusual items were pulled out of Lanier during the last big drought in 2007-08.
"I know there was firearms, there's chairs, there's tables, there was a paddle board, there was a rocking horse," Cloud said.
Cloud said the large items can cause damage to property, but also can cause accidents in the water and harm people who are using the lake.
For the second year running, the Lake Lanier Association is asking lake users to download the Trashout App on their cell phones. The app helps track debris.
"As they drive around the lake, if they see things that need attention in terms of trash removal and debris, then they use this app and log it and it traps a photo and the long-lat coordinates and they enter a description of what it is," Cloud said.
Then when volunteers report for Shore Sweep duty on September 24, 2016, they'll be assigned to clear some of the larger debris along with routine trash pick-up around the lake.
Cloud said when they used the app for the first time last year, they were able to target 750 debris areas that needed clean-up before Shore Sweep began.
