While Atlanta is still trying to recover from the recent heavy rains, many people in North Georgia and particularly around Lake Lanier are celebrating. The Corps of Engineers which runs Lake Lanier is now predicting that the lake will soon rise to within 2.5 feet of full pool.
Before the deluge, Lanier had falled to 1,064.2 feet above sea level. A week later and Lanier’s water level is at 1,067.7 with an increase of another foot predicted.
Even if the rain were to stop today, there would be another one or two days of run-offs still to enter the lake. After such a downpour, the land around the lake is saturated and any futher precipitation will run off into the lake.
Overall the recent weather bodes very well for Lake Lanier over the coming months. Cimatologists had already been predicting that Lanier might rise to full pool of 1,071 feet, perhaps in early 2010, but the last week has made that much more likely. Business and homeowners around Lanier who had been suffering from several years on unprecendeted drought, are now likely to be celebrating. The historic and devestating drought of 2006 to 2009 is likely over.
Photos of Lake Lanier After the Deluge
