Did Atlanta and region get any rain out of that system?

[darkstar]

I'd heard there was a chance, but never heard any follow up. And I'm assuming that the reserves are so low that it will take more than even a very rainy week to get the levels back to a good place.

Any DUers with the latest?

[democracyindanger]

1. Hellz yeah

There've been a couple good downpours over the past couple of days--and considering I grew up in Oregon, that's saying a lot. Unfortunately, it'd probably take weeks of the wet stuff to have any real impact on Lake Lanier.

[darkstar]

2. I fgured as much about needing several weeks' worth.

Have they quantified it on the news, i.e., "we've moved from 69 days to 73 days of reserve" or anything like that?

Best wishes,

:hi:

[democracyindanger]

3. Well

tonight there was a local news special on the situation. If I understood it correctly, Lake Lanier has 60-90 days in the "main reserve basin" which represents 60% of the total water available. After that, we have to start drawing from the 40% bottom reserve, which translates into 280 total days, but the bottom water is the nasty stuff. Barges and pumps would have to be brought in to draw it, and because it's the bottom stuff it would need to go through heavier filtration, driving the time and cost up.

As a born and bred West Coaster, that Atlanta let the water situation reach this near-crisis level is shocking. I've lived in Oregon and California during drought seasons, and the general attitude seemed to be that people had to do their part. But since the first warnings came out about serious drought conditions a couple of months ago, it's only NOW that any serious measures are being taken. Maybe it's just me, but when the governor asks for a declaration of a disaster area because of the drought and sues the Army Corps of Engineers about dam releases--yet only prohibited outdoor watering a week or so ago, something seems wrong. They've seen this coming for months and are only just springing into action, such as it is.

God, I hate Georgia.

Thanks for the wishes. ;)

[darkstar]

4. Hey, sure...

Thanks for the detailed answer. I'd kind of googled around, but all the stories stressed the 69 days number, not what it would take to get back to normal. And certainly not the bottom reserve thing.

Thanks again. Hope you get some more rain soon.

:hi:

[RebelOne]

5. Yes, last night, there was quite a bit of rain where I live

in North Georgia just northwest of Atlanta.

[sgsmith]

6. rain

Most of the southeast is in a major drought that has been ongoing for a couple of years. The major lakes which are used as water sources are many feet down from their full pool levels, as well as rivers and underground springs flow rates are significantly lower than expected. For a good graph of how Lake Lanier's pool levels have fluctuated over the year go to http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/lanfc.htm

How long will it take to get out of this drought? Honestly, no one knows. There have been previous droughts will similar dire warnings that it would take 10 years to fill Lake Lanier. One good winter's rainfall and, bingo, Lanier was full. A small hurricane or tropical storm would go a long ways towards filling the lakes, but contrary to predictions this has been a quiet year for cyclones.

The state and the different localities have been imposing water restrictions the last couple of years based on information from the EPD. North Georgia is under a level 4 drought response plan and central and south Georgia is under level 2 restrictions. The restrictions start off light, and as conditions worsened, become much tougher. Most of Georgia has been under some sort of watering restrictions (use of outdoor water mainly) for over a year. Started off with odd / even watering schedules and progressed to a ban on outdoor watering. Now the restrictions are beginning to be put in place that impact commercial businesses that use large amounts of water. You used to have a 30 day exemption on watering new professionally installed landscaping. That exemption is now resinded. Car washes are exempt because they recycle most of their water, but individual's washing of cars is banned.

http://www.gaepd.org/Documents/outdoorwater.html for more information.

[Orsino]

7. I was driving through it yesterday, and could barely see.

I think we got a good soaking--but perhaps only one of several we should have had since early summer.