Lake Lanier Georgia - Lake Lanier Drought Marinas Parks

You may have noticed the water level indicator on the right-hand side of our site. Its now also possible to sign up for emails telling you when the level of Lake Lanier drops too low.

Cruising Lake Hartwell over Thanksgiving 2006 proved to be a time of creative inspiration for Doug and Jennifer McGaughey as they surveyed the number of docks and boats stranded, high and dry, on the red clay shoreline as a result of low winter lake levels.

Today sees another publich meeting about Georgia Department of Transport's $140 million plans to expand Browns Bridge Road between Hall and Forsyth counties.

The development would involve the remodelling of a bridge over the lake and would affect at least 520 properties along 12.5 miles, creating four lanes, with sidewalks, bike trails and a grass median available for future expansion.

Todays meeting is at McEver Elementary School in Gainesville at 4:00. You can also comment on the DOT Website.

Chestatee Golf Club in Dawsonville is a community with homes prices starting at $400,000 and a golf course designed by famous golf course architect Denis Griffiths.

Nonetheless it narrowly escaped foreclosure because of its failure to repay a $2.58 million note owed to Regions Bank. The bank had been intending to sell the course March 6 on the steps of the Dawson County Courthouse.

Chestatee escaped that fate by closing a $3.125 million loan from Textron Financial, a commercial finance company that is a division of Rhode Island-based industrial giant Textron Inc.

Textron has a golf finance division, located in Alpharetta, that has provided financing for other courses in Georgia.

The number of Lake Lanier spotted bass weighing in at more than 2 lbs. is currently at an all-time high according to an article in the Chattanoogan. Spotted bass in North Georgia normally with 1-1/2 if they are 3 to 4 years old.

The site mentions that Lake Lanier's deep, clear waters and steep rocky shoreline make the lake a prime habitat for spotted bass spawning and survival.

The website says that Lake Lanier spotted bass currently outnumber Lake Lanier largemouth bass by nine to one and that the recommended areas for catching spotted bass on Lanier are the lower and mid lake sections, including the major tributary creeks.

The Lake Lanier Association says that its mission is to keep Lake Lanier clean and full. They're asking for help to do that on April 28, 2007. They're holding a Shore Sweep at five locations around Lake Lanier as part of the lake's 50th anniversary celebrations.

The event will take place from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., and volunteers may pick up bags to collect trash from the shoreline at five locations on the lake; Sawnee Campground on Buford Dam Road, Gainesville Marina, Port Royal Marina (formerly Lan Mar Marina), Nix Bridge Park and Lake Lanier Islands. Trash and Styrofoam may be taken to all locations except Lake Lanier Islands where volunteers may enter at no charge through the main gate to collect trash.

On Saturday April 26th, the sixth stage of the Tour De Georgia begins at Lake Lanier Islands and entry will be free.

Access North Georgia quotes Bruce Johnson, Lake Lanier Islands' director of sales and marketing as saying that:

"The big thing we're doing to encourage local participation is we are waving the gate fee that morning, so everyone can come out to Lake Lanier for free to come see the event," said Bruce Johnson, Lake Lanier Islands' director of sales and marketing. "I think that is the first time we have ever done that. It's a free day for anyone who wants to come out that morning."

This weekend sees the start of events held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lake Lanier's opening.

The series of events is being branded as "50 Days for 50 Years". You can find some of them listed in our Lake Lanier Events section and a complete list at LakeLanier50.com.

First up are sailing events at the Lanier Sailing Academy, a Safe Boating course at MarineMax Marina and an In-Water Boat Show at Gainesville Marina.

It is that time of year again ... fishermen are out on Georgia's lakes and rivers, looking out for white bass. The bass begin ther spawning runs up several Georgia rivers in late February through early April, making March the perfect time to hit the waters.

The News Reporter has a nice article about fishing in the local area, saying that even if the white bass action slows, the white bass' bigger cousins - stripers and hybrids - are also out there waiting to be caught."

Silvery in hue, white bass have several faint horizontal side stripes. They travel in schools and can be found in large streams, rivers and lakes. The current state record was caught on Lake Lanier in 1971, weighing in at 5 lbs., 1 oz. Typical weights range from ½ to 2 lbs.

This week Georgia spent $1.7 million to purchase 204 acres around Helen. This will allow boaters and kayakers to have access to the Chattahoochee River. Its hoped that this will the first of a string of public-access boat ramps and put-in points for canoeists, kayakers and rafters to paddle the river from Helen to Lake Lanier.

Darcie Holcomb, the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's headwaters conservation director, is working on a strategy to present to the state Department of Natural Resource that will include boat ramps, parking lots, and overnight camping spots for paddlers at state-owned properties at Hardman Farm, Buck Shoals, Mossy Creek and Don Carter at Lake Lanier.

"All our really pretty mountain land is in high demand for retirement and second homes," said Jim Langford with the Trust for Public Land in Atlanta. "This is protecting the viewshed so that you won't have houses looming over that farm and that valley."

The Chattahoochee campaign, which is led by TPL and includes the Georgia Conservancy, the Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Fund and the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, has raised millions in public and private money to purchase a green way on either side of the Chattahoochee River between Helen and Columbus. To date, about $160 million has been spent to protect 13,500 acres touching about 140 miles of river, Langford said.

Lake Lanier remains four feet below full pool entering March, which is typically the wettest month of the year in North Georgia.

The first two months of 2007 have already seen 3 inches less rain than normal in the area and there are worries that without a rainy March, the regional drought may continue.

At Atlanta Journal Constitution quoted State climatologist David Stooksbury with the University of Georgia as saying that:

"March is historically our wettest month. If we do not receive bountiful rainfall, we are set up for a worsening drought this summer."

Lake Lanier Islands announced several pieces of good news this week.

Revenues for 2006 were $28.5 million, up from $24.2 million in the previous year and they are working on plans to spend that money and more on a renovation and expansion of the Emerald Pointe Resort .

Gwinnett businessman Virgil Williams, who leases the 1,100-acre resort from the state, said his plans are to give the 216-room hotel a rustic look.

The rooms are being overhauled in design and furniture and in June, ground will be broken for six, six-bedroom cottages, which Williams had previously announced. The cottages, which will be completed by spring 2008, represent a $6 million investment.

The project will also include renovation and expansion of the two resort restaurants, Bullfrog's and Windows. Work on Bullfrogs is set for September to November and Windows from January to March at a combined $2 million.

2007 marks Lake Lanier's 50th anniversary and a list of celebratory events has been released on www.lakelanier50.com. Special events include:

• Powerhouse Tours of Buford Dam, March 31st
  
• Atlanta Inland Sailing Club Dogwood Regatta, March 23rd – 25th
• Fun Run at Laurel Ridge Trail, April 14th
• Lake Lanier Association Spring Mini-Shoresweep, April 28th
• Rubber Duck Derby by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hall County, May 19th.

To kick off the extravaganza celebrating 50 Days for 50 Years between June 15th and August 11th, “Wear it and Win!” buttons continue to be distributed at the 10 marinas on Lake Lanier. Lucky button holders can win boating items, T-shirts, commemorative items, key chains, and more during the 50-day promotional period.

Tour de Georgia Logo

The fifth annual cycling event will begin April 16 in Peachtree City and end April 22 in Centennial Olympic Park. Stage 6 will start from Lake Lanier Islands Resort on Saturday, April 21 and from there the cyclists will head down to the finish at Stone Mountain.

Lake Lanier Islands Resort expects fans to rent hotel rooms for the race, said Katy McLaughlin, promotions and communications director. The resort hopes people will rent boats to watch the Saturday morning race as cyclists come over the bridge.