Our friends at the Lake Lanier Association (LLA) do a marvelous job on behalf everyone who enjoys the lake.
President Val Perry, Executive Director Joanna Cloud, the board of directors and hundreds of volunteers keep the lake clean, represent us in legal actions and keep us informed about the lake’s status and health.
Please consider becoming a paid member of the LLA.
Perhaps this recent message from Val Perry will give you a better idea of the vital work done by the Lake Lanier Association.
“This summer concluded an outstanding season for Lake Lanier. The lake has never been more attractive with an average water level of almost 1073 feet above sea level since April. Also of note was the absence of muddy conditions as well as the lack of problems with the Buford Dam and other lake infrastructures.
Raising the full pool authorization to 1073 feet will provide a major buffer against drought impacts across the entire basin. Stakeholders in Georgia, Florida and Alabama will all benefit from officially changing the full pool authorization from 1071 to 1073 feet. Your association will continue to support and negotiate for this very positive change.
During the past year, significant focus by many Lanier stakeholders on safety has been rewarded by vastly improved statistics for 2013 over the same period in 2012. The Department of Natural Resources reports that boating accidents, boating fatalities and boating BUI arrests are down by at least 50%. Although the high rain fall this year has somewhat reduced lake traffic, these results reflect the renewed focus and awareness on safety by all people recreating on Lanier. Emphasis on education, safety classes, life jackets, alcohol consumption and sensitivity have contributed to the results. Hats off to all lake oriented entities for their work on safety – it truly has been a community-wide effort!
In the July issue of your newsletter, we introduced the concept of a significant safety driven program. We kicked off the Solar Lighting Program in August. Twenty solar lights were installed on the south end of Lanier. The feedback on this program has been outstanding! Our plan calls for installing approximately 100 lights annually over the next 3 – 5 years. Initially our focus will be on boating hazard markers with subsequent phases of the project illuminating the mouths of some Lanier creeks and bridge spans for safety. The LLA is very excited with this initiative.
Last month we concluded our 25th annual Shore Sweep Lake cleanup. It was a tremendous success, highlighted by structured organization, over 1000 volunteers and significant trash removal. More detail on Shore Sweep is reported later in this newsletter.
Finally, the LLA is entering a major membership campaign. We will drive to increase membership by 20% in 2014. There is an article in this newsletter issue outlining a “Bring In A New Member” contest for existing members. Please watch for more information on this important program in the coming months.”
