The 16% release reduction might not happen, but the Corps think we have 375 days left anyhow
While the 16% reduction in the water flow from Lake Lanier sounded like a done deal last week, now it looks like it might not happen. From this article in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer:
The Bush administration last week brokered a temporary agreement in which the corps would hold back about 16 percent more water in Georgia to help bolster Atlanta’s water supply while the state’s three governors work toward a long-term agreement by early next year.
The temporary agreement is contingent on a ruling from the federal Fish and Wildlife Service, which is expect to release by next week a biological opinion on how reduced river flows would affect the protected species of mussels and sturgeon downstream.
On a potentially brighter note, the Corps are now saying we have 375 days of drinking water left. The problem is that no one has any idea where the number has come from. We’ve heard a wide variety of guesses before, but the increased release rate should mean we have less time than those guesses — not more.
Just based on simple math we’ve got about 96 days until we hit the “dead pool” (19.3 feet left, losing about 0.2 feet/day), though that doesn’t account for the 16% reduction (if it happens) or the fact that the rate of drop will accelerate as the lake gets lower. Based on 96 days, the dead pool would need to have about a 280 day supply in it to get us to 375, and I don’t think it does.
November 9th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
To be fair, the 16% reduction has always been contingent on agreement by the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service - they promised to respond by 11/15. The assumption was that they’d say yes, and the Corps would respond immediately.
I can see 375 days, assuming that once they hit the deadpool the release from the lake drops precipitiously and Atlanta has to worry about boil orders and water rationing.
Otherwise…? 375 seems like a (water) pipe dream.
November 9th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Is any residents really concerned with the water situation? Are the new people in town or the ones about to move to the city even know the situation they are getting into? The answer I am getting is “No” or “its not a problem until they turn on the water and nothing comes out”
November 9th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
You’re exactly right. Most people aren’t concerned and think that the media, including sites like ours, are just blowing things out of proportion. The apathy is pretty sad.
If the situation keeps going down the path its on, more people will know every day as the water keeps getting lower.
November 9th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Lake Lanier Crisis is Katrina II without the Hurricane
Someone has to begin developing a solution. If water in GA, AL, and FL “dries up”, we could see a mass exodus of “refugee” residents of every socio-economic class in search of living quarters with running water. Will the national guard be called out to stop the exodus and impact on surrounding states? Will there be martial law impositions? Will there be social unrest reminiscent of the LA riots? Will crime run amok without the authorities ability to handle it? Will FEMA come in and DEMAND TO COLLECT OUR GUNS like they did during Katrina I???
I don’t know about you, but we are headed into severe socio and economic turbulence the likes of which we have not seen since the depression.
It’s going to get bad - let’s start talking SOLUTIONS!
November 10th, 2007 at 12:55 am
What solutions?
There are no solutions. That’s the difficulty.
See, Lake Lanier doesn’t get much water in, and yet holds water for a tremendous part of the state. It also is responsible for releases that run power and industry downstream, refill resevroirs that other places use, and so on. The actual water taken by Atlanta is (now probably under) 500 million gallons. Right now the Corps is aiming for 1.7 billion gallons of release a day.
The lake takes in a couple hundred million gallons a day if you’re lucky. Often, it takes in a net negative (loss to evaporation, groundwater, etcetera).
So, realistically if you cut the water release to just want Atlanta needs, you starve lots of other people of water and power and industry. It’s a bad situation that can’t be simply corrected.
The solution? The immediate one is to figure out how the heck you’re going to get an average 10,000 gallons a second over the dam once you hit the deadpool (at which time the Dam itself won’t be able to release water at an effective rate). Without that, the deadpool might as well not exist. That’s thousands of firehoses of water operating every second.
The long term solution? Find another water source. Probably the ocean, imho.
November 10th, 2007 at 1:07 am
375 days my arse. One thing for sure is I don’t trust what the government says. They always put out a positive spin so people won’t panic, but maybe people need to start panicking. The governor’s working on a faith-based solution. Yeah, right. Maybe God is punishing the evangelicals for putting Bush in office and for this stupid Iraq nightmare. Seriously, best thing I can do is remove myself from the problem so I am getting out of Dodge and taking a job in Austin.
November 10th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Rkolter, there may not be solutions to the Lanier problem but there are alternative solutions to the PROBLEM. The problem is not Lake Lanier, the problem is a reliable water source. Possible solutions: Wells; Pipeline from Great Lakes; Desalinization, etc. The Lake is gone and may never recover if releases continue. So, solutions are needed for the problem and not Lanier. And, prayer vigils are not going to re-fill the lake. We only have a couple months to get meaningful actions in place and those with the resources and power and budgets are praying and not planning!!!!!!!! People need to stop focusing on rain and Lake Lanier - the world is 80% water, it’s time to get creative. Water is not the issue, creativity is what’s lacking.
November 10th, 2007 at 10:48 am
“Water is not the issue, creativity is what’s lacking.” Amen to that. Early action is vital and it’s not happening; we’ve got a bunch of simpletons at the helm. California had a drought of similar proportions in the 90s and they survived it through. Check out this Google book:
http://books.google.com/books?id=VXVH6tW5nugC&dq=california+drought&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=Qi-NEaUZpH&sig=B5J93OHCnvO_qB_unCkz8wx9rv4#PPR20,M1
November 14th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
A Great Lakes pipeline is not the solution.
The Great Lakes have an amazingly small watershed. The Upper Lakes - Superior, Michigan, and Huron - are also at record low levels, and it’s having a significant impact on lake shipping. Granted, they look (and are) huge, but these magnificent lakes are very slow to recharge from low water levels. Another difficulty is that a big chunk of that water is Canadian, and they take a dim view on withdrawals from the upstream end of the St. Lawrence seaway, a critical Canadian shipping resource.
Maybe the Ohio or the Mississippi might be a viable solution?
November 14th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
It seems to me that desalinization and a pipeline from Savannah would be the way to go. I wonder what that would cost and how long it would take to build? I’m guessing the answers are “billions” and “years”, both of which are significant problems.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
People, please leave the politics out of this. None of you liberals have ever complained about your heroes Gore and Edwards living in obscene mansions in drought stricken TN and NC. Of course, I will leave out the fact that a lot of liberals have moved to the Southeast and Atlanta from the Northeast, north Midwest, and California (all three areas run predominately by leftist politicians) to escape their insane taxation and unaffordable living situations. What we need is to act now and cut off water to households and businesses at certain times of the day during the week. What we are dealing with needs action NOW. Leave politics out of it!
November 17th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Mark writes:
“a lot of liberals have moved to the Southeast and Atlanta from the Northeast, north Midwest, and California (all three areas run predominately by leftist politicians) to escape their insane taxation and unaffordable living situations”
Don’t worry; all of those liberals will flee your redneck state when it runs out of water. It won’t solve your water problems, but at least you’ll have to find someone else to blame.
November 19th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Folks it is really a simple problem with a simple fix. I would suggest you read, carefully, the linked article.
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2007/10/24/huntered_1025.html
November 30th, 2007 at 5:10 am
Cali rules baby..!..lol.. all you guys should move over here,.
everything we have is better. We even have better looking females.lol
I’m just playing,.!..;]..
But seriously tell all your females to come live with us..lol