Lake Lanier

Lake Lanier (officially Lake Sidney Lanier) is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee River. The lake encompasses 38,000 acres (15,000 ha) or 59 mi² (150 km²) of water, and 692 mi (1,114 km) of shoreline at normal level, a "full pool" of 1,071 ft (326 m)above mean sea level and the exact shoreline varies by resolution according to the coastline paradox. Named for Confederate veteran and poetSidney Lanier,^[1] which has caused recent renaming controversies and public debate. It was built and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control and water supplies. Its construction destroyed more than 50,000 acres (20,000 ha) of farmland and displaced more than 250 families, 15 businesses, and relocated 20 cemeteries along with their remains in the process.^[2]

It is patrolled by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR), as well as local law enforcement. The states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida all have rights to the water of the reservoir, as it feeds rivers going through those areas. The Corps of Engineers has responsibilities to regulate flow for flood control and water use. In addition, it has to ensure that water is available to fulfill such federal mandates as under the Endangered Species Act, to support downstream species. The rapid suburbanization of the Atlanta region, in particular, has greatly increased water consumption by private homeowners for lawns and gardens. During droughts of the 21st century, Lake Lanier reached record lows, and regional actions have been needed to reduce state water usage in the area.^[3]

The lake is in Hall, Forsyth, Dawson, Gwinnett, and Lumpkincounties, split about 60%, 30%, 5%, 4%, and 1%, respectively, filling the valley into numerous small arms and fingers. The former thalweg of the Chestatee and the Chattahoochee south of it form the county line between Hall and a corner of Gwinnett to the east, and Dawson and Forsyth counties to the west. The land that now sits at the bottom of Lake Lanier was, before the 1950s, forest and farmland. Before the lake was completely filled, construction crews felled the treetops, leaving tall stumps to remain, in some areas, not far beneath the lake's surface.^[4][5]

One of the main purposes of the lake is flood control of the Chattahoochee River downstream, mainly protecting metro Atlanta. Since the construction of Buford Dam, only three major flooding events have occurred on the downstream section. The most severe flooding event was in 2009,^[6] following a two-year drought; the most recent was in 2013.

Prior to the construction of the reservoir in March of 1950, the town of Oscarville occupied a part of the current location of the lake. Oscarville was a small Black community and the site of a racial expulsion, resulting in the forced displacement, after a series of violent events, of all 1,098 black residents from Forsyth County by the white residents in 1912.^[7] Following the alleged assault of two white women and the subsequent lynching of a Black man named Rob Edwards who was accused of being involved in the crime, white mobs terrorized black families through arson, intimidation, and property destruction. Within weeks, nearly all Black residents fled Forsyth county abandoning their homes and property that were later absorbed into white ownership.^[8] Decades later, the remnants of the town were purchased by the government and flooded to create the lake.

The lake's original purposes purportedly were to provide hydroelectricity, navigation, and flood control of the Chattahoochee River, and water supply for the city of Atlanta.

The project was authorized by Congress in 1946,^[9] and ground was broken on the Buford Dam on March 1, 1950.^[10] A stretch of Georgia Highway 53 that ran too close to the planned shoreline had to be abandoned. Gainesville's Looper Speedway was also condemned and abandoned.^[11]

More than $2 million (equivalent to $25 million in 2026) had been spent by the Corps on preliminary construction when the House Committee on Appropriations refused to provide more funds in June 1951. During that summer Atlanta mayor William Hartsfield traveled to Washington numerous times pressing southern Democratic Senators Richard Russell Jr. and Walter F. George to restore funding to ensure Atlanta's water supply during droughts.^[12] Hartsfield returned to Washington in 1955 to lobby for $11 million (equivalent to $97 million in 2024) more for the dam, which had a target completion date of 1956, again stressing the importance of an adequate water supply for his growing city. Congress approved the funds, and the dam was completed and opened on schedule.^[13]

On February 1, 1956, Lake Lanier began filling when the sluice gates of Buford Dam were closed.^[14] The dam began operation between June and October 1957,^[15] and that same year, Morgan Falls Dam, located 20 miles (32 km) downstream, was raised to regulate the flow from Buford Dam and regulate the flow of water to Atlanta.^[16] Buford Dam was dedicated on October 9, 1957, in a ceremony officiated by a number of elected officials, including U.S. Senator Richard B. Russell, Georgia Governor Marvin Griffin, and Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield.^[17] Lake Lanier reached its intended full-pool level on August 1, 1958, approximately one year later than initially expected due to droughts.^[18] In early fall of 1958, the region had two solid months of drought, which would have left the Chattahoochee and its tributaries nearly dry, if not for the construction of Buford Dam and the reserve of Lake Lanier.^[19]

Since the 1990s, the Corps of Engineers and the states of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama have all been fighting for use of the water held in Lake Lanier. Federal law mandates that when a river flows between two or more states, each state has a right to an equal share of the water. Additionally, laws such as the Endangered Species Act require that water be available to preserve and support the threatened or endangered species that live in or around the Chattahoochee River and Apalachicola Bay.

According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the dam has a current installed capacity of 126 megawatts and a hydraulic head of 136 feet.^[20][21]

In 2011 and 2012, the water fell to some of the lowest points on record set during the 2007 droughts. In the spring and summer of 2013, the water level reached some of the highest points due to high amounts of rain and flooding in the north Georgia area. By late June 2016, the southern parts of Forsyth County were having severe drought, and water use was ordered to be reduced.^[22]

Drought (2007–2009)

In June 2006, the USACE revealed that the new lake gauge at the dam, replaced in December 2005, was not properly calibrated, yielding a lake level reading nearly two feet (over half a meter) higher than the actual level. Because of this, nearly 22 billion U.S. gallons (over 82 billion liters) of excess water had been released. This was above the already planned excess releases to support the successful spawning of gulf sturgeon in the Apalachicola River and to protect several species of oysters in Apalachicola Bay from excessive saltwater intrusion.

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue said that the Corps had created a "manmade drought", because most of the state was already having dry conditions. This came at a time when outdoor water-use restrictions were being put in place by local governments. The high rate of suburban growth in the area resulted in a high rate of water consumption to care for the many lawns which had replaced forests. Because of the error in managing Lake Lanier, the governor's office declared a drought and enacted a ban on outdoor water use from 10 am to 4 pm, in addition to the permanent weekly odd/even address system. Other local counties imposed further restrictions or total bans, based on each water system's conditions. Outdoor watering was banned completely as the state suffered the worst drought in its recorded history.

On October 16, 2007, Governor Perdue gave the USACE until the evening of October 17 to come up with a plan for the continued release of water for Florida wildlife. Senator Johnny Isakson stood before the Georgia General Assembly saying, "The health, safety and welfare of people are threatened. They are threatened by an act this Congress passed that had no intention to threaten them." He eventually withdrew his threat to sue the Corps of Engineers, but the Lake Lanier Association indicated that it would file a private legal action. Governor Perdue's attempts to reach an agreement with Florida over water releases fell through, leaving the final decision on releases from the lake to be made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Atlanta

Lake Lanier

Lake Lanier northeast of Atlanta

On November 22, 2007, the water level was at 1,052.34 ft (320.75 m), setting a new record low.^[23] The previous low was 1,052.7 ft (320.9 m), set in December 1981.^[24] One month later, the water level stabilized around a final low of 1,050.79 ft (320.28 m), recorded December 26, 2007 at Buford Dam. The day after Christmas, the water level began rising from week to week.^[25]

Eventually, after winter rains, on February 18, 2008, the water level of Lake Lanier rose to 1,052.80 ft (320.89 m),^[25] higher than the December 1981 level of 1,052.7 ft (320.9 m), effectively ending the record-low phase of the drought crisis.

A similar drought situation occurred in late 2008. At the end of the year, the water level stabilized around a final low of 1,051.00 ft (320.34 m), recorded December 8, 2008, at Buford Dam, slightly above the record set in 2007.

Después de las lluvias durante el invierno de 2008-2009, el 30 de marzo de 2009, el climatólogo del estado de Georgia, David Stooksbury, declaró el fin de la sequía, ^{[ 26 ]} señalando: "la humedad del suelo está cerca de lo normal, los caudales de los arroyos están cerca de lo normal. Los embalses pequeños y medianos están llenos". Stooksbury continuó, "aún hay un elefante en la habitación y ese es Lanier". En mayo de 2009, el nivel del agua del lago Lanier subió para superar los 1066 pies (325 m) , alcanzando un máximo de 1066,71 pies (325,13 m) a mediados de junio de 2009. No alcanzó el nivel máximo de verano de 1071 pies (326 m) a mediados de 2009, permaneciendo más de 4 pies (1,2 m) por debajo. Tras semanas de intensas lluvias en el norte de Georgia, el lago Lanier recuperó su nivel máximo a mediados de octubre de 2009. El récord de altura registrada es de 328,3 metros (1077,2 pies ), establecido en abril de 1964.          

Los niveles históricamente bajos del lago dejaron al descubierto partes del lecho que no se veían desde su creación en la década de 1950, incluyendo restos de una carretera y cimientos de casas que tuvieron que ser abandonadas para la construcción. También se descubrieron elementos añadidos más recientemente al lago, como basura, baterías de barcos y embarcaciones hundidas. Se organizaron iniciativas locales para limpiar el lecho del lago. Varios automóviles, algunos robados, y armas de fuego abandonadas fueron recuperados por las autoridades. ^{[ 11 ]}

En julio de 2009, un juez federal de Minnesota (elegido como árbitro desde una ubicación neutral) dictaminó que el Congreso nunca autorizó el uso del lago Lanier como fuente de suministro de agua para el área metropolitana de Atlanta . Georgia recibió un plazo de tres años para dejar de extraer agua del lago (excepto para las ciudades adyacentes de Gainesville y Buford ), a menos que el Congreso lo autorizara o que Georgia y los otros dos estados que utilizaban agua del embalse llegaran a un acuerdo sobre su uso. El presidente de la Comisión Regional de Atlanta señaló que, de aplicarse, la reducción del suministro de agua potable al 75% de los usuarios actuales de la región requeriría ayuda de la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA).

En junio de 2011, el Tribunal de Apelaciones del Undécimo Circuito revocó la decisión del tribunal de distrito de 2009 y confirmó la autoridad del Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército de EE. UU. (USACE) para regular el lago Lanier para el suministro de agua de Atlanta. En junio de 2012, el Cuerpo de Ingenieros respondió con planes para un análisis y evaluación más exhaustivos de las propuestas de los tres estados.

En 2013, Florida presentó una demanda contra Georgia ante la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos , solicitando una distribución equitativa de las aguas en la Cuenca ACF . El 3 de noviembre de 2014, la Corte Suprema autorizó a Florida a presentar la demanda. El 1 de abril de 2021, la Corte Suprema desestimó la demanda por unanimidad, al considerar que Florida no había demostrado ningún daño grave causado por Georgia. ^{[ 27 ]}

El lago lleva el nombre del poeta del siglo XIX Sidney Lanier , por su poema " Canción del Chattahoochee ", que trata sobre el cercano río Chattahoochee . ^{[ 28 ]} Además de poeta, Lanier también sirvió en el Ejército Confederado , lo que ha generado debate público y controversias sobre el nombre del lago. En 2021, el Congreso de los Estados Unidos ordenó a una comisión eliminar cualquier nombre o título relacionado con el Ejército Confederado de todas las propiedades del Departamento de Defensa , incluido el Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército de los Estados Unidos , la agencia responsable de la gestión del lago Lanier. ^{[ 29 ]} En 2023, la Asociación del Lago Lanier notificó al público que no cambiaría el nombre del lago. ^{[ 28 ]}

El lago es popular entre navegantes , casas flotantes , motos acuáticas y otros, especialmente durante las vacaciones de verano. Más de 10 millones de personas visitan el lago anualmente, incluyendo sus marinas y el parque acuático Lake Lanier Islands . Las pruebas de remo y piragüismo de velocidad durante los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1996 se celebraron en el extremo norte del lago. ^{[ 30 ] [ 31 ]} Desde entonces ha albergado muchos eventos internacionales como el Campeonato Mundial de Piragüismo de Velocidad ICF 2003 , el Campeonato Panamericano de Piragüismo/Kayak de Velocidad 2016 y el Campeonato Mundial de Barcos Dragón ICF 2018. El lugar alberga muchos otros eventos como Food Truck Friday, los Campeonatos ACRA y el Festival de Barcos Dragón de Atlanta Hong Kong .

El lago Lanier cuenta con más de 90 parques del Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército, estatales, del condado y municipales distribuidos a lo largo de sus 680 millas de costa, 23 de los cuales ofrecen playas aptas para el baño. Todos estos parques son accesibles por tierra y algunos por agua, y la mayoría cuenta con otros servicios como áreas de pícnic, baños, rampas para botes y parques infantiles. También hay docenas de playas en islas ubicadas por todo el lago Lanier. ^{[ 32 ]}

Lake Lanier Islands es un complejo turístico en el lago, inaugurado en 1974, que incluye un hotel resort llamado Legacy Lodge (anteriormente Emerald Pointe Hotel), un parque acuático y un campo de golf, entre otras comodidades. El complejo también incluía un segundo hotel resort, PineIsle, que operó desde 1975 hasta 2005 y fue demolido en 2008. ^{[ 33 ] [ 34 ]} Ambos hoteles fueron vendidos por CNL Hotels & Resorts , una empresa de inversión hotelera en Florida, al empresario de Georgia Virgil Williams. En 2017-2018, se anunció que Margaritaville se haría cargo de Lanier Islands Park. Lake Lanier Islands se encuentra en un terreno arrendado a la Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority, que fue establecida por la Asamblea General de Georgia en 1962 para promover el desarrollo turístico en las islas, y que a su vez arrienda el terreno al Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército de los Estados Unidos . ^{[ 35 ] [ 36 ]}

Cada año , desde mediados de noviembre hasta enero, las Islas del Lago Lanier se engalanan con más de 9,7 km de luces navideñas, el mayor espectáculo de luces animadas del sureste y uno de los más grandes del mundo. Las Islas del Lago Lanier organizan el espectáculo de luces navideñas «Noches Mágicas de Luces», que incluye luces animadas, una zona temática navideña, atracciones de feria y otras actividades de temporada.  

El folclore local incluye historias sobre el lago embrujado, relacionadas con los cementerios que quedaron sumergidos durante su creación. ^{[ 37 ]}

• "Crecimiento, crecimiento por todas partes, pero ni una gota para beber". Artículo periodístico sobre la sequía de 2007-2008.
• Grupo de Protección del Lago Lanier
• Información sobre el lago Lanier ( Archivado el 21/08/2007 en Wayback Machine )
• Niveles de agua del lago Lanier
• Mapa batimétrico del lago Lanier