I am sure you know that a reduction in consumption will offer almost no relief to the Lake Lanier situation because the savings is so small compared to the large minimum flows demanded for the Apalachicola River...
Dear Governor Perdue, As means of showing some of my credentials, I would like to tell you first off why the information I offer here is based on Lake Lanier knowledge and experience. I am a former Forsyth County Commissioner and Chairman or the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. I am a past Vice President and President of the Lake Lanier Association. I have been working for the preservation of Lake Lanier for eighteen years. I served on the Governor's Advisory Council for Tri-State Water Issues. I was a member of the Lake Sidney Lanier Watershed Governance Council and the Lake Lanier Basin Advisory Council for the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District.
Governor Perdue, I appreciate what you have done for Lake Lanier so far, but because of the way things are materializing I think a lot more is required.
I will not go into detail about the dreadful plight of Lake Lanier because I am sure you know that better than most. You know Lake Lanier is in crisis mode. Future water supplies are threatened and the Lake Lanier recreational economic contribution to Georgia is seriously diminished. In one more week the lake level will be the lowest ever.
You have imposed a reduction in Georgia’s water supply consumption. But I am sure you know that a reduction in consumption will offer almost no relief to the Lake Lanier situation because the savings is so small compared to the large minimum flows demanded for the Apalachicola River.
For example, for the past week the flow in the Apalachicola River has averaged 5,129 cfs. That is 129 cfs more than the required minimum, which I assume is the Corps’ safety margin. It is interesting to note that if metro Atlanta reduced its consumption by 20% that would change the requirement by less than 90 cfs. In fact, all of metro Atlanta’s water supply consumption is less than 10% as large as the 5,000 cfs Apalachicola River required minimum flow.
I know when you met with the governors of Alabama and Florida, and the Secretary of the Interior a couple weeks ago in Washington, D.C., progress was made and an agreement was reached to reduce the minimum flows in the Apalachicola River by 800 cfs. The Corps has sent that suggestion to the Fish and Wildlife Service and we are hoping to receive an agreement response from them this Thursday.
As a result of the agreements reached in Washington, including the promise of future Governor Meetings to try and settle the tri-states water issues, Georgia withdrew its preliminary injunction request in the Florida Federal Court.
Subsequently, Florida withdrew from the 800 cfs agreement reached in the Washington, D.C. meeting.
By the way, withdrawing from agreements reached among the three states is par for the course for Florida. I remember two times during the tri-states negotiations when the three states reached a tentative agreement only to have Florida later back out.
Also, as you know, about the same time you asked the Corps to help the fast shrinking Lake Lanier, the Corps announced it would be releasing even greater amounts of water from the lake.
Those greater releases now make the 800 cfs Apalachicola River flow reduction seem puny. The Lanier discharges during September and October averaged 1,716 cfs and 1,909 cfs respectively, which were very large compared to the average release of 890 cfs for the entire drought year of 2001. But now, with the Corps’ increased releases during the past week (11/6 through 11/12) the average Lanier discharge was 2,985 cfs. During that same one-week period Lake Lanier lowered another 1.28 feet, and that rate converts to a one-month lake lowering of 5.5 feet. If all of the 800 cfs Apalachicola River reduction was realized in reduced Lanier discharges it would now amount to only a 27% reduction. Applying that 27% discharge reduction to lake levels would mean a 4.0 feet monthly Lanier level reduction rather than 5.5 feet.
I don’t think we can take much comfort in the lake going down 4.0 feet per month. We already have a recreational economic disaster, and we could soon be in a much more serious water supply situation.
Governor Perdue, if we do not have significant rain, we need much greater Lake Lanier discharge relief than 800 cfs. I urge you to reinstate the preliminary injunction request in the Florida Court and push for immediate court action.
Sincerely,
Ronald Seder
