Ongoing drought may mean re-tightening the faucet

Lake Allatoona, north of Atlanta: bridge over troubled waters (Dave Bender/file)

Environmental Protection Division chief Carol Couch, said Wednesday the state's deepening drought may force her to tighten a range of water restrictions loosened earlier this year.

Couch says she will evaluate water use in the state next month, and decide whether to impose new restrictions for the dozens of communities in north Georgia where some watering limits have been relaxed.

The announcement came as state climatologist David Stooksbury declared that soaring summer temperatures and light rainfall have plunged more of Georgia into drought conditions.

Couch has faced criticism from some environmentalists who say relaxing water restrictions during the drought could send conflicting messages about the state's water crisis and set the stage for tighter limits in the fall. But Couch is also under pressure from agriculture groups, who fear a new round of conservation measures could cripple their industry.

(The Associated Press)

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Corps gives tough forecast for region lakes

Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say the drought is intensifying, with the early weeks of July expected to be hot and dry. Corps officials say even though winter and spring rains did refill many lakes in the region, the reservoirs feeding large population areas are still well below normal and will be further challenged. West Point Lake in particular is forecasted to drop nearly two-and-a-half feet over the next five weeks. Atlanta’s main water source of Lake Lanier is also under the gun through the summer months--its level is expected to fall another 1.3 feet.

Georgia Drought Update

Georgia is still in a historic drought. With the state entering the hot season, and winter rains failing to replenish many of the states northern reservoirs, the chance to undo last years water loss is almost gone.

Overall, the states water levels look a lot like they did this time last year - when Georgians were told the state was entering into extreme drought - and then just months later, metro Atlanta was counting down the days till they ran out of water entirely.

And now, State Climatologist, David Stooksbury says the outlook for this year’s hot season is the same:

"Being that we are starting at very low levels already across much of the state, the conditions will slowly worsen, even if we have normal rain fall through October."

Stookesbury says South Georgia is looking a little better - not as dry as it has been in the past but could see drought conditions within a month. For North Georgia, Lake Lanier, unlike last year, is starting at a deficit, and Lake Allatoona- it filled quickly, but loses water just as fast.

New water-operating plan

The Army Corps of Engineers’ current operating plan is, when there’s more water, store it rather than send to Florida. But with a dry forecast on the horizon, the gates will likely open to send it downstream, spelling bad news for Lake Lanier and West Point Lake.

To help Lake Lanier, the EPD announced last week that it will probably try to extend a March plan to refill it. In that plan, Peachtree Creek's flow was reduced to refill the basin, however a concern over what that does to water quality for the wildlife habitat requires further study.

The Corps' operating plan also brings back "ramping rates," which allow releases to be brought up and down slowly to accommodate slow-moving mussels as they get up and down their habitats.

Hearings on West Point Lake water levels

The US House of Representatives Small Business subcommittee convened at West Point Technical College in Lagrange on Tuesday to gather testimony on the impact of the 2006-2007 drought on Georgia's economy.

Third district Republican Congressman Lynn Westmoreland heard testimony from local representatives, and Army Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife officials about the epic drought's effect on West Point Lake and the area.


Brig. Gen. Joseph Schroedel, Commander of the South Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and US Fish and Wildlife Service Sout heast Regional Director Sam Hamilton give testimony at the hearing. Behind them is a map of bodies of water in western Georgia affected by the drought. (Dave Bender)

Westmoreland questioned the Corps Brigadier General Joseph Schroedel and Sam Hamilton, of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, about their agencies' water policies on the lake.

Fourth District Congressman Henry “Hank” Johnson Jr. (D), who chaired the hearing, listens to testimony at the session, as Third District Congressman Lynne Westmoreland (R) reads documents detailing state water policies. (Dave Bender)

Community and business leaders say current policies are hurting them. Many of the businesses are recreation-based, and rely on the lake.

Westmoreland says some progress had been achieved at the meeting, saying the Corps would let West Point Lake and Lake Lanier store more water.

But he also was hoping for higher intervention to help the situation:

“So, we are making progress. Are we where we need to be yet? No, because we have to have some response from God, too, to let this rainfall come into areas that we need it.”

Over 200 residents attended the session, which was held at West Georgia Technical College in nearby LaGrange. The lake provides water for LaGrange.

Over 200 area leaders, businesses representatives, and residents attended the hearing. (Dave Bender)

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US House C'tee Seeking Answers on Drought

Formerly submerged shoal marker and tree along the receding shoreline at West Point Lake. (file photo/Dave Bender)

The US House of Representatives small business subcommittee will meet on Tuesday in Lagrange in western Georgia to discuss the drought and its effect on local businesses.

Third district Republican Congressman Lynne Westmoreland, who represents a 15-county area around West Point Lake will host the field hearing.

The lake provides drinking water for Lagrange and some 24,000 area residents.

The committee will question Brigadier General Joseph Schroedel of the US Army Corp of Engineers southeastern region and Sam Hamilton, Southeast Regional Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service about water levels and policies for the lake.

Westmoreland says his group is seeking answers as to why water use policies haven't been updated in the last half century:

"The last water manual that was written, went through the process and was approved was in 1958. So, you can see that it's been 50 years since we've done anything with the situation, and I think the Corps, Fish and Wildlife and others owe us an explanation."

Westmoreland said the group would also discuss a long-term solution for businesses in the vicinity that rely on the lake. Many are recreation-based and have been hard-hit by the drought.

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Chambliss meets with Troup Co. officials, residents over drought

Ga. Senator (R) Saxby Chambliss speaking with reporters at the La Grange, Ga., City Hall on Monday, Jan 7, 2008. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Republican Senator Saxby-Chamblis toured West Point Lake today, and met with local and Troup county officials to hear about the drought's effect on local businesses.

Chamber of Commerce representatives told Chamblis that the steadily-encroaching mud flats bordering on the lake have taken a severe toll on businesses catering to water recreation and area housing values:

“The economy in this part of the state is suffering in a huge way, as a result of the lake level being at 622, even though we've had an increase up to almost 627, right now – it's been nothing short of a disaster.”

Private boat docks high and dry along West Point Lake, at Lagrange, Ga., Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. (Photo: Dave Bender)

The recent storms have raised the lake five feet from 622 to 627 feet, Chamblis told reporters at a press conference on the steps of the La Grange City Hall. He said that one outcome of the meeting was to keep lines of communication open between local residents, the US Army Corps of Engineers and state officials over water usage.

Chamblis said the drought and water levels would have no effect on the Kia auto manufacturing plant being built nearby, and scheduled to open in 2009:

“There will not be any effect, from a commercial standpoint on the amount of water that's needed to make sure that all of our commercial and residentail facilities have adequate water.”

Exposed tree stumps now clearing water-level (seen in the center of the photo) create a boating hazard on West Point Lake, at La Grange, Ga. (Photo: Dave Bender)


Private boat docks high and dry along West Point Lake, at Lagrange, Ga., Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Chamblis will visit Lake Lanier north of Atlanta on Tuesday, along with Gainesville, and other drought-stricken areas.

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Tallahassee Talks in Water Wars (Video)

The governors of Georgia, Alabama and Florida are meeting in Tallahassee to figure out how to break the decade-long water-usage impasse between the three states, during a record-breaking drought.

Click to watch the report.


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Westmoreland, Corps meet over water issues

Dried-up boat dock at West Point Lake. (Dave Bender)

Congressman Lynne Westmoreland (R) met with US Army Corps of Engineers officials at the LaGrange City Hall Friday morning to discuss the drought's damage to West Point Lake, and the local economy.

Westmoreland met with Col. Byron Jorns, commander of the Corps Mobile District, and Steven Logan, operations manager of the West Point Project.

Westmoreland gave the Corps a letter requesting an immediate update, and details of any further talks between the Corps and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Service about water usage plans for the area, according to Chip Lake, Westmoreland's Chief of Staff.

After the meeting, Westmoreland, who represents the Third Congressional District, toured the lake on a pontoon boat in order to personally gauge the extent of the damage, Press Secretary Brian Robinson said.

Westmoreland later met with Lagrange and Troup Co. officials and local business leaders, specifically in the marine sport and hotel trades, to assess the extent of the economic damage to the area.

Westmoreland is interested in a longer-term solution to the dilemma of sharing water resources and conflicting needs between Georgia, Alabama and Florida, Robinson said.

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Perdue, Riley to meet with Interior Sec'y., White House adviser

Water Wars, Water Woes from Dave Bender on Vimeo.
YouTube version: http://youtube.com/watch?v=nASTHXpvyz8

Governor Sonny Perdue plans to meet with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, and Jim Connaughton, environmental quality adviser to President George Bush, on Friday to discuss the drought, according to a report citing a Governor's Office official.

The two Administration officials, in an effort to head off more acrimony between Georgia, Alabama, Florida and the Army Corps of Engineers over water usage, are to meet later in the day with Alabama Governor Bob Riley.

Riley told The Birmingham News:

''We're going to tell him that the only way all of us get through this is through a concept of shared pain."

Perdue, at a press conference on the fast-drying shores of West Point Lake on Wednesday, Oct. 24, lashed out at both the Army Corps of Engineers and Riley (see video).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Chattahoochee, Dooly, Marion, Muscogee, and Talbot counties as primary natural disaster areas, due to drought-incurred losses. Crisp, Macon, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, and Taylor counties were named contiguous disaster areas.

The decision allows farmers in both areas to apply for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

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