Comments on: Is the Drought Over? http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/ Keeping you informed about the Georgia drought. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:44:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: RichS http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3260 RichS Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:49:15 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3260 Lanier didn't get much impact from this rain Little. Gain was less than the loss we were seeing every day last fall by half. More rain in the forecast. Hopefully it is a litte more meaningful than this one was. Lanier didn’t get much impact from this rain Little. Gain was less than the loss we were seeing every day last fall by half. More rain in the forecast. Hopefully it is a litte more meaningful than this one was.

]]> By: Chicken Little http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3257 Chicken Little Sun, 30 Mar 2008 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3257 Downstream flows are ROCKING! BGAAAWWWKKK! Downstream flows are ROCKING!

BGAAAWWWKKK!

]]> By: DSO http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3243 DSO Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:38:57 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3243 Rkolter, your statement that, “the USACE did not create the laws that it has to follow” is both true and false. It is true that the USACE is governed by a myriad of federal laws. However, under those laws, and in particular the Flood Control Act of 1944 and Engineer Regulation 1110-2-240 (33 C.F.R. Part 222.5), the USACE is given wide latitude in determining intrastate water allocations and minimum river flows. It is also true, however, that the USACE creates many of the laws it follows. For example, the requirement to maintain a minimum 5000 cfs flow in Florida was indeed a “law”, but it was not a law until USACE proposed it and both the USACE and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) ratified it in 2006. According to a USFWS spokesman, the minimum flow of 5000 cfs was set based on the needs of downstream power plants, not the needs of endangered mussels in Florida. Unfortunately, reality reared its ugly head in 2007, just as it did in 2001 and 2002, and that reality is this: 5000 cfs is simply unsustainable in periods of severe drought. It is a lesson that the USACE should have learned in 2001 and 2002. In 2007, while Lanier was dropping to record low levels, USACE spokesmen said they were “just following the law” in continuing the large outflows from Lanier. However, what the spokesmen failed to mention was that the “law” they were following was the law that USACE together with the USFWS created in 2006. This is the law of which I spoke earlier. Lastly, there is simply too much legal wrangling going on in these regional water wars to consider any court decision as definitive, unless the court is SCOTUS, and even then Congress could just make new law. -- DSO -- Rkolter, your statement that, “the USACE did not create the laws that it has to follow” is both true and false. It is true that the USACE is governed by a myriad of federal laws. However, under those laws, and in particular the Flood Control Act of 1944 and Engineer Regulation 1110-2-240 (33 C.F.R. Part 222.5), the USACE is given wide latitude in determining intrastate water allocations and minimum river flows.

It is also true, however, that the USACE creates many of the laws it follows. For example, the requirement to maintain a minimum 5000 cfs flow in Florida was indeed a “law”, but it was not a law until USACE proposed it and both the USACE and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) ratified it in 2006. According to a USFWS spokesman, the minimum flow of 5000 cfs was set based on the needs of downstream power plants, not the needs of endangered mussels in Florida.

Unfortunately, reality reared its ugly head in 2007, just as it did in 2001 and 2002, and that reality is this: 5000 cfs is simply unsustainable in periods of severe drought. It is a lesson that the USACE should have learned in 2001 and 2002.

In 2007, while Lanier was dropping to record low levels, USACE spokesmen said they were “just following the law” in continuing the large outflows from Lanier. However, what the spokesmen failed to mention was that the “law” they were following was the law that USACE together with the USFWS created in 2006. This is the law of which I spoke earlier.

Lastly, there is simply too much legal wrangling going on in these regional water wars to consider any court decision as definitive, unless the court is SCOTUS, and even then Congress could just make new law.

– DSO –

]]> By: DC http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3241 DC Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:12:35 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3241 That is great news on the new dams and lakes for resevoiurs. That is great news on the new dams and lakes for resevoiurs.

]]> By: RichS http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3209 RichS Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:30:28 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3209 Actually Ken Cook is wrong. We are up about 3' for the month and about 5.5' from the low in late December. Actually Ken Cook is wrong. We are up about 3′ for the month and about 5.5′ from the low in late December.

]]> By: richs http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3208 richs Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:04:55 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3208 ACE just updated their forecast chart. They are forecasting about a two foot gain which is better than their previous forecasts. I assume that takes into account their reduced releases. http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/lanfc.htm The other interesting thing about this chart is they added a new line for "Record Low Elevations 1960-2007". So you can see what the previous low was for a given date. At the beginning of the year, we were almost five feet below the previous low. We have narrowed to about four feet so you could look at that as an improvement. Still four feet below the previous low for this time of year is a huge deficit. ACE just updated their forecast chart. They are forecasting about a two foot gain which is better than their previous forecasts. I assume that takes into account their reduced releases.

http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/lanfc.htm

The other interesting thing about this chart is they added a new line for “Record Low Elevations 1960-2007″. So you can see what the previous low was for a given date. At the beginning of the year, we were almost five feet below the previous low. We have narrowed to about four feet so you could look at that as an improvement. Still four feet below the previous low for this time of year is a huge deficit.

]]> By: Chicken Little http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3207 Chicken Little Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:03:37 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3207 KEN COOK JUST SAID LAKE LANIER IS UP 5' THIS MONTH! BGAAAAWWWKKKK! KEN COOK JUST SAID LAKE LANIER IS UP 5′ THIS MONTH!

BGAAAAWWWKKKK!

]]> By: RichS http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3206 RichS Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:32:09 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3206 I knew we had several reservoirs in progress, I just didn't know that made us unique among southeastern states. I also wonder about the infamous reservoir that Sonny P killed. Was it just one of many reservoirs or was it a much larger and more important reservoir than all the others that are in progress. I knew we had several reservoirs in progress, I just didn’t know that made us unique among southeastern states. I also wonder about the infamous reservoir that Sonny P killed. Was it just one of many reservoirs or was it a much larger and more important reservoir than all the others that are in progress.

]]> By: Prootwadl http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3205 Prootwadl Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:38:00 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3205 This article (linked to by the last one) has some very good information on the size and status of various existing and proposed reservoirs around the state: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/03/11/reservoirs0311.html?cxntlid=inform_artr This article (linked to by the last one) has some very good information on the size and status of various existing and proposed reservoirs around the state:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/03/11/reservoirs0311.html?cxntlid=inform_artr

]]> By: Prootwadl http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3203 Prootwadl Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:59:20 +0000 http://www.atlantawatershortage.com/20080316/is-the-drought-over/#comment-3203 This article in the AJC: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/03/10/reservoirs_0311.html says the following: "A dozen new water supply reservoirs are already underway in Georgia, seven of them in metro Atlanta." This article in the AJC:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/03/10/reservoirs_0311.html

says the following:

“A dozen new water supply reservoirs are already underway in Georgia, seven of them in metro Atlanta.”

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