The next six weeks are key
As reported by the Lawrenceville Weather Blog, the next six weeks will be critical in getting the lake levels up. From their article:
February and March typically are some of the wettest months of the year, with an average of 4.7 and 5.4 inches of precipitation respectively. So far, February is running slightly below normal, but with more than half an inch of rain predicted for Sunday and a storm the weekend of the 22nd that could bring over an inch, we could quickly get to normal. The Climate Prediction Center is calling for a better than normal chance of rain for the period between the 21st and the 29th.
The bottom line is that if we are going to get significant filling of Lake Lanier, February and March will be the months that do it…
Let’s hope the predictions for the next few weeks come true and we can start to see some real progress in the lake levels.
February 16th, 2008 at 10:05 am
If anything good comes of this drought I hope it’s a wake up call for all the problems that led up to this situation.
If not it will just prolong the crisis to another day, or simply shift the crisis it so some other place that wasn’t responsible for the lack of planning.
You can’t do much a about the rain, so I hope all the states involved can make real progress and work together whenever possible.
I’m also disappointed that it’s mid February and nothing has been done to address the problems on a state or federal level.
It’s all political bantering and neither side is willing to give an inch.
February 16th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Yes, this is my point when some of my friends raise the argument that this drought I’ve warned them of doesn’t seem to be causing societal collapse any time soon. Now, we’re seeing signs that Georgia’s leaders are growing tired of maintaining even a slight vigilance in conservation efforts. If the next six weeks bring more rain, the crisis might be all but forgotten — that is, until it pops up maybe months later, and with nothing done in the meantime.
It’s been nearly four months since this issue was raised to the public, and we’ve seen zero progress towards solutions. I think it should be pretty obvious to anyone on this forum that Atlanta will suffer greatly in the weeks/months/years to come.
-st
February 16th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I doubt it will rain enough before summer to raise level of Lake Lanier much. As long as ACE keeps releasing more water from Buford Dam, than enters the lake from watershed daily, Lanier cannot be recharged/refilled.
February 16th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I’m sure it’s obvious by now why we didn’t elect a Repuklican gubna in GA for over a century.See what happens with a ‘puke in the Capitol??But nooo,back in 2000 them good ol’ boys wanted their Confederate flag referendum(which Sonny-do didn’t do)and decided to vote ‘puklican.And along came the home-building lobbyists,uncontrolled cluster homes,and Gov. Barnes plans for new resorviors got swept aside.
February 17th, 2008 at 9:26 am
SouthSideNative, I agree completely with you about the need for a realignment of voter priorities away from symbolic gestures to people who actually govern effectively. However, the point has been made here before that the uncontrolled growth and lack of planning have been in place under democratic governors as well. E.g., the uncontrolled growth really started prior to the olympic also, it has been known that there will be water problems in Georgia since the 1980s, but no one seems to be listening well enough at the state level to do anything about it.
But as for the home building lobbyists, you’re spot on. If you look at the midtown skyline you can see that this problem is not going away in fact it’s going to get substantially worse. Right now there’s two high rises being built, following others closely and more planned. In fact, you can see the plans here. (I apologize ahead of time, it’s an annoying silly flash site, but if you go over to location there’s a map of the buildings planned.) They haven’t stopped putting up office and condo buildings since I moved here and the same goes for Buckhead. Even if the city were to suspend growth immediately (which they won’t because of the lobbyists you pointed out) the growth would continue for several years.
February 17th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Oops, I buggered the link. Here it is again:
http://www.midtownmile.org/
February 17th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Down here in the College Park/Union City area gargantuan new subdivisions are going up in places where previously only 3 or 4 old homes once stood.And the minute one gets finished another gets started.It never ends. Sorry to sound like Im pinning it all on one political party,and you are right about thedecision to bring the Olympics here probably triggered the boom.Though the lobbyists probably have more clout with Sonny.Theres just no logic in so much sprawl with improper planning and nearly EVERYONE from the Rust Belt trying to cram into Atlanta.Give us a break!The whole Upper Midwest cant fit in here!>:(
February 17th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
No one seems to be talking about the big elephant in the room.
Republican ideology is getting in the way of any solution to this lack of water for Atlanta. Republicans believe that government action is BAD, the private sector, business, the free market is the solution to every problem. It’s a religion that they must all sign on to, or lose their reason for being.
Government institutions like the corps of engineers have put in place a water release system that is fine during normal rainfall but now have caused a disaster.
You need a philosophy of government that is action oriented, adaptable to changing conditions and one that will be motivated and energetic to solve a problem here.
Republicans HATE government action of any kind, and certainly can’t adapt to a situation that requires action or problem solving.
In order to figure out why our republican governor and state legislature can’t solve problems, you need to be educated about the underlying philosophy and the delusional thinking that’s got us into this mess.
February 17th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I agree Jan. What’s really bizarre is why people who loathe government so much a)manage to get elected and b)don’t seem to have a problem with taking a paycheck from the government. If they hate government,they need to quit working for it.
Another problem is the bureaucracy that is bogged down and slow to act when there’s a problem. There needs to be some flexibility when it comes to emergancy situations. Lobbying firms also need to GO. A huge part of the problem is a revolving door between government and lobbyists and various contractors(especially defense and construction).
February 17th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
And remember the big part that religion plays in the Republican ideaology.Backing up prayers with ANY sort of human effort simply isn’t a part of the conservative mindset–they beleive that God will fix everything,and they don’t even have to budge.It’s enough to make a logical person tear their hair.
February 17th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Funny- I was just asking about if the government was doing enough around water recycling. I’m in belief that the gov should be able to assist the people in setting up collection tanks for rainwater and grey water. We’re in Melbourne, AUstralia, and currently in quite the drought. H2O restrictions have all but killed my grass, since I can’t water it. No worries there, but we have started with the grey water, and some people are feeling the pinch. If you can, take a look at my site, as I have a poll on the question of should the gov help with water programs? Include your location (if you want…) Cheers
February 18th, 2008 at 7:23 am
SouthSideNative Says:
February 17th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
….Backing up prayers with ANY sort of human effort simply isn’t a part of the conservative mindset–they beleive that God will fix everything,and they don’t even have to budge….
–
they prayed, it rained
what have YOU done for me lately?
February 18th, 2008 at 9:01 am
C. Little - RAIN WAS IN THE FORECAST, they prayed, it rained. If they had done a Wicca rain dance OR NOTHING it still would have rained.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:49 am
oh yeah…..weather forecasts are accurate
and the mona lisa just appeared one day, no such thing as an “artist”
February 18th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Oh good, we have a solution then. Can we get the pray-ers to end this drought once and for all by requesting 3-4 months of well above average rainfall. Why pray for just one rainstorm? Let’s go for broke here.
February 18th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Ok, I agree that the prayers did nothing. But who cares. The prayers were not in lieu of action. The truth is there was very little short term action that could be taken besides instituting water restrictions and negotiating with Florida and Alabama.
It is a mean spirited partisan and possibly bigoted argument that because prayer meeting were held there is an assumption that nothing else was being done. Then Purdue is attacked based on that faulty assumption.
The logic is faulty, and the intent is mean spirited. So Purdue and a good portion of our population are “people of faith”. Maybe you aren’t. Who cares. Let them be. They aren’t hurting you.
February 18th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Well, I agree with RichS on this (finally, we agree on something!). There is nothing wrong with praying. I do it all the time and I believe God answers our prayers in his own way. My problem with Sonny is not that he prays, but that his actions are not effective in dealing with this problem.
Anyway, couldn’t agree more with RichS. Please stop the condescending anti-religious rhetoric from the rest of you.
February 18th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I heard on good authority that the recent rains are due to nude rain dances in the governor’s mansion.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Well I completely agree that the current republican ideology is a terrible and ultimately destructive way of governing. We will build no great societies using their way, only theological and corporate tyrants. I was just trying to give blame where blame was due, which is to all of the leaders of this state, not just republicans though.
Regarding Perdue, I couldn’t care less if he prayed to Mickey Mouse as long as he was presenting rational and well-laid plans to get us out of this. I have yet to see any reasonable plans out of him… Georgia is running out of neighbors to sue and if congress won’t change the rules about Lanier’s water, we need to do something, sooner rather than later or it will be only be a worse drought the next time.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Forget Sonny.
What is your LOCAL municipal water provider doing to ensure a safe, reliable source of water in the event of an extended drought?
February 19th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Give us some solutions then Andrew.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I don’t recall saying I didnt beleive in God or prayer.Only that faith should be backed up with some rational effort on the part of our so-called leaders.My “rhetoric” was anti-rightwing/anti-corrupt politics,not anti-religious.I was criticizing the philosophy of a political party which seems to think people are just supposed to pull themselves out of a disaster,with no gov’t action at all.Look at the gov’t responre to Katrina.The Republican idealogy is that we’re all self-reliant pioneers and the gov’t does not work for the people.They demand our taxes yet do not serve us.As for solutions…how about all these folks from Minneapolis and Saginaw and Toledo and Newark and Green Bay just leave their gargantuan McMansions,go home and stop crowding our state and using up our resources??
February 19th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Little said:
“What is your LOCAL municipal water provider doing to ensure a safe, reliable source of water in the event of an extended drought?”
I live in Cobb County, which is serviced by the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority. The CCMWA already has a fairly diversified water system (some of its water comes from the Chattahoochie, some of it from Lake Allatoona), and it also has been building a new reservoir with the City of Canton (the Hickory Log Creek Dam and Resevoir).
That seems like constructive action to me.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
No pun intended.
February 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Clayton County has a very impressive system of its own resiorviors and wetlands(and they’re still adding)that was featured in a Nov. article of the AJC and in a couple of environmental magazines.Unfortunately I live 1/2 mile north of the Clayton/Fulton line,and the city of College Park(except for the part that rests in Clayton Co.) gets its water from the Sparks resoirvor at Sweetwater S.P.This town has no finances to build its own water system.
February 19th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Is there a resource anywhere on the web which shows where various areas, towns, counties, or whatever in the Atlanta metro get their water?
It would be interesting to see which areas would be most impacted by Lake Lanier, and which areas might not be impacted at all.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Prootwadl, see http://atlantawatershortage.com/wiki/index.php/List_of_water_sources_for_metro_area_counties
February 20th, 2008 at 6:14 am
I’m going to go out on a limb here……NOBODY WHO RELIES ON LANIER FOR WATER IS GOING TO FIND THERE TAPS RUN DRY IN 2008 OR 2009.
LITTLE HAS SPOKEN!
February 20th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Regarding the republican vs democrat issue, I don’t really see any big difference when it comes to infrastructure spending. Both seem to spend money for pork targeted at their favored constituencies rather than genuine infrastructure needs.
The Democrat ideology is more about creating a nanny state that shields their constituents from such harsh realities of life as having to work for a living than it is about building infrastructure.
And it strikes me funny that this failure of government is seen as a need for more government, not as validating the viewpoint that government does very few things well. Whenever government fails (i.e. Katrina), it must be the fault of republicans. It can’t just be that government is inherently inefficient.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Thanks, GThierry!
February 28th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Sorry ya’ll, I’ve been on vacation. Hope you haven’t missed me too much.
RichS, once again, I have to agree with you. Some posters are trying to turn this into a partisan politics issue, when it is actually the failure of our government in general to deal with the important issues of sprawl and water planning.
Metro Atlanta sprawl and water planning issues have been problems for a LONG time, regardless of who was in politicial power (Democrat or Republican). And if you wanted to assign blame to a particular party, up until Sonny, we’ve had all Democrat Governor’s since the sprawl began. So there is no logic to the argument that just because Sonny is in office now that he should be blamed for the poor planning of decades of politicians before him.
But as I said, these are not partisan politics issues, and no one party is to blame for the situation we’re in now.
Metro Atlanta sprawl covers counties and cities that are Republican as well as Democrat, and has for years. I have lived in Atlanta for over 30 years, so I have seen the sprawl grow. It’s everywhere in Metro Atlanta regardless of that particular areas’ political leanings.
The issue of poor water planning is also not Republican or Democrat issue.
As mentioned earlier in this post, Cobb and Cherokee counties (largely Republican counties, the land of Newt Gingrich, Johnny Isakson and others) have among the most forward-thinking water plans in our metro area.
Meanwhile, Dekalb county (which other than the Dunwoody area is mostly Democratic) has no water plan as of yet. While other counties have already announced or plan to announce soon their water plan in response to Sonny’s February 6th announcement, Dekalb county hasn’t even put the issue on their meeting agenda yet! They had a county commissioner meeting yesterday, and it was not on there. Their next meeting is in 2 weeks. We can only hope it will be on that meeting agenda.
Forsyth county (largely Republican) where most of Lake Lanier is, does not have a well-formed long-term water policy. They are 100% reliant on Lake Lanier.
So there is no relationship between political party and water planning. Both parties are equally adept at sqandering our tax dollars on projects of their interest.
March 6th, 2008 at 10:03 am
More beneficial rain is forecast for tomorrow!
The drought is easing!
http://www.drought.unl.edu/DM/DM_southeast.htm