Aqualand Marina on Lake Lanier bills itself as “the world’s largest inland marina.”
OK, I can deal with that. Not like anyone we know owns a bigger marina. We have a more important issue.
The weather.
Sorry, but I am so sick of all the rain and clouds that I am considering a trip to Buffalo, which has an average of 54 sunny days per year, to catch a few rays.
If it keeps raining, I think we should change the name of Lake Lanier to Aqualand. (Yes, Water World is better, but that was taken.)
It’s too wet to ride my motorcycle, so I took a stupid amount of time to check the weather statistics at Gainesville’s airport for the past couple months.
June 2013
June only had 11 dang days without a trace of rain. One of those days, June 3rd, didn’t have any rain at all but it was cloudy all day. There was one four-day period — Thursday, June 20th through Sunday the 23rd — that had no precipitation at all. That was the first weekend of summer and it fooled us all. Average rainfall for June: 4.39″. This year we had 6.38″ — 45% above normal. To use a Scientific Term: that ain’t right.
July 2013
July wasn’t much better. The first day in July that didn’t bring at least a trace of precipitation at Lee Gilmer Airport was — ready? — July 16th. A Tuesday. Who cares if it rains on Tuesday? There were six more precipitation-free days in July. Mercifully, we had a nice long dry weekend from Saturday, July 27th through Tuesday the 30th. July’s average rainfall is 4.51″ but we beat that by 260% for a total of 11.8″ — just a few drops shy of two feet of rain. That’s four times the amount of July rainfall in Buffalo.
August
Normally, August brings the Gainesville airport a rainfall total of 4.08″. As of August 19th, we’ve already had 6.82″ — two-thirds more than the month’s average. Thankfully, we had a long precipitation-free weekend, from Friday, August 2nd through Monday the 5th — four entire days. Reminds me of the good old Georgia. The forecast for the next seven days? Thunderstorms predicted for five of them.
Lake Levels
Lake Lanier began the year on January 1st at 1058′ — a dozen feet below winter pool of 1070′. The lake hasn’t been that low since.
You’d think with all the rain we’ve had that the lake would be overflowing. We’ve had a few spots that have been underwater, but we’re actually doing pretty well.
At 6 AM, August 19, 2013, Lake Lanier was at 1072.8′ — up just over 4″ in the past day. Back on May 7th (a Tuesday) we hit the high point for the year: 1073.67′ — a foot lower than we were yesterday.
Yes, there’s more rain in the forecast.
You just have to remember the secret to survive cold springs and wet summers.
[Insert secret here.]
We’re thankful for our friends at the Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Lanier for their work here in Aqualand.
We’re also thankful for our friends at Aqualand Marina. We hope they won’t mind us borrowing their name for the lake.
On Sunday afternoon, August 18th, it was cold, rainy and dark, but the lights at Aqualand were on for those who wanted to sail into the rain … from Aqualand … into Aqualand.
Don’t worry. Someday, it will be warm and sunny again. (Somewhere.)
You have to believe!
But carry an umbrella just in case … here in Aqualand.
Click Here for Aqualand Marina
Click Here for Weather History at Lee Gilmer Airport
Click Here for Corps of Engineers Database of Lanier’s Water Levels
