Lake Allatoona to Release Less Water

This week, in response to Georgia’s worsening drought, officials are cutting the amount of water released from Allatoona Lake by a third. Less water flowing out of Lake Allatoona, located 30 miles north of Atlanta, means less water for communities primarily in North West GA, like Rome, and Cartersville.

Joe Cook, with the Coosa River Basin Initiative in Rome says officials are sacrificing these communities to help metro Atlanta.

“We are concerned about having adequate flows to protect out economy and our ecology in N W GA. They are holding back water in Lake Allatoona primarily to preserve water supplies for communities in metro Atlanta.”

Cook says holding back water will also affect the Coosa River’s wildlife. He says that because water from the river is used to cool Georgia Power’s Plant Hammond the, rivers temperature is elevated. And with less water flowing downstream, the river may get too hot.

Drought affecting power supplies

Drought conditions across the state are affecting everyone from farmers to homeowners trying to keep a green lawn. Now Alabama Power says that the drought will prevent the company from generating enough power unless more water is released from into the Coosa River basin so it can maintain its generating capability at several dams.

The Coosa River starts in Rome and flows through Alabama, where it joins with the Tallapoosa River to form the Alabama River. The three rivers are a main source of power in that state.

The power company has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release water from Lake Allatoona to raise water levels west of the dam near Cartersville.

The company also wants water released from Carters Lake in north Georgia, which also feeds the Coosa River.

Officials in Rome say that the higher water levels could help with wastewater treatment.

The Corps of Engineers is taking public comment from all interested parties until Friday.