MOBILE, Ala. – Thanks to easing drought conditions in Georgia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District (USACE) announced Thursday that the district reverted to normal operations in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Basin.
"Near normal rainfall over the past two months, along with prudent water management, have enabled Lake Lanier to rise more than 2.7 feet to elevation 1,064.3, about 6.7 feet from the top of full summer level (1,071 feet)," said Lisa Hunter, spokeswoman for the Corps' Mobile District Office.
In addition, drought conditions have improved along the remainder of the basin south of Lake Lanier.
The reservoirs in the middle and lower basin – West Point Lake, Walter F. George Lake and Lake Seminole – reached their full summer levels. Under normal operations, USACE will release a portion of inflows downstream which previously have been held in the reservoirs during the drought, according to Hunter.
She said because those reservoirs are at full pool, the impact in returning to the normal operations schedule should not have major impact to the ACF Basin.
“Due to the lower reservoirs being at and near full summer levels we should be able to meet downstream needs with normal basin inflow for the foreseeable future. Releases from Lake Lanier will continue to be just for water-quality and water supply requirements at this time.”
The Corps initiated drought operation on April 4, reducing the downstream flow because of lack of rainfall.
