Lake Lanier Georgia - Lake Lanier Drought Marinas Parks

Tragedy has struck Lake Lanier 10 times in 2007, compared to five in 2006.

The deaths have hit people of all ages from teenagers to senior citizens. Alcohol was a factor in three deaths. Seven were not wearing life jackets. One was hit by a boat, another had a heart attack while skiing.

The Corps of Engineers is responding by adding more rangers to patrol the lake. The Corps routinely has 10 staffers devoted to water safety. As of this weekend and through October, that number jumps to 15.

The Corps of Engineers has just announced they will extend their moratorium on new boat dock applications another three months. Initially enacted on April 27th and planned to last until late July, the Corps temporarily stopped taking applications to process its backlog.

However, due to recent boating fatalities and drownings the Corps' priority this summer is water safety. More rangers will be visible on the beaches and in boats, working enhanced water safety patrols, especially on weekends now through the Labor Day holiday. With more rangers working water safety patrol for the summer, fewer are working shoreline management, thus resulting in a longer wait for dock permits.

Bald Ridge Marina in 1959

If any of you know anything more about this, we'd love to hear from you in the comment section.

The New Yorks Times reported the story in this way:

"A small but powerful tornado churned across a resort area on Lake Lanier today, overturning boats and damaging docks and buildings on the shore. A dozen persons were reported injured.

The highway patrol had reported as many as seven persons missing on the lake where boats were flipped over and their occupants spilled into the water. Later the patrol reported all had been accounted for.

Most of the injuries apparently occurred ashore where the twister's force at Bald Ridge Marina, a boat dock, lifted roofs and hurled debris.

The tornado struck on a hot, muggy afternoon and the swarms of pleasure boaters on the lake had no warning."

Looking for a new house with a beautiful view of Lake Lanier, plenty of space and complete privacy? Have $6.35 million to spend? If not, you can at least take a peak at what homes in that price range look like.

The home lies on the north end of the lake, in Forsyth County on Swiss Air Rd. It comes with a dizzying array of features:

• 17,000 square foot home on a 3.5 acre lot
• Eight bedrooms, 12 bathrooms
• Four car garage
• Swimming pool that overlooks Lake Lanier.
  
• Five open porches, four covered patios, and an outdoor entertaining area.
  
• In-law suite, exercise room, home theatre, a brick oven, library, bar & billiards room, and six fireplaces.
  
• View corridor with 106 feet of Lake Lanier property.
  

If you want to see the house, there's a video and photo slideshow available online:

• See slideshow pictures of the house
• See video of the house
  

Hall County Parks and Leisure Services officials are very close to securing funds for a large fishing tournament at Laurel Park in North Hall. Plans are underway to built a "megaramp facility" that could launch 400 boats.

Deborah Mockus, director of the agency, said an expansion of Laurel Park on Old Cleveland Highway could allow the staging of a Bassmaster-style tournament with competition prizes reaching $1 million.

Lake Lanier is always a popular destination to celebrate Independence Day. Although there will be many events taking place on the lake for July 4th, the largest firework display in North Georgia, and perhaps the most well-known in the region is the Light Up the Lake Fireworks Independence Day Celebration hosted by Lake Lanier Islands.

All-day live entertainment, games, and family fun will precede the fireworks extravaganza. The park opens at 10 a.m. and the fireworks are scheduled for 9:40 p.m. Overnight packages and regular daily admission tickets are available. For more information, call Lake Lanier Islands at 770-932-7200, or visit their website. The Islands are located at 7000 Holiday Road in Buford.

The event is planned to have a $1 million purse, including a $250,000 donation to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for the Go Fish Georgia initiative, and a $50,000 donation to the national children’s charity Catch a Dream Foundation.

The Go Fish Georgia Initiative was established to put Georgia on the map as a national fishing destination.

The Lake Lanier Rowing Club will host the Georgia Games rowing events on July 14th at the Lake Lanier Olympic Venue on Clarks Bridge Road in Gainesville. Approximately 200 amateur rowers of all ages and skill levels compete anually in the event. The Lake Lanier Rowing Club has hosted this event nearly every year since 1995.

The only qualification for participating in the Olympic like event is that you have to have lived in the state for at least 30 days before the start of the competition. Georgia residents attending college in other states and native residents serving in the military are also eligible to participate.

For more information about entering the rowing competition, contact www.georgiagames.org.

Hi All

We're delighted to launch forums on this site today. LakeLanier.info is growing really fast and it seems like the right time to invite you all to join in.

The forums are available to:

• Chat about fishing, boating and other lake activities.
• Buy and sell. There are classifieds forums to advertise all you have for sale.
• Meet new people.

Gwinnett County will soon be dumping more wastewater in Lake Lanier.

Officials are still waiting on final approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following a six-year court battle, but the project is likely to go ahead.

Gwinnett aims to build a $45 million, nine-mile pipeline which will carry wastewater from the Buford-area F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center to the lake.

Upon approval from the corps, it has been estimated that construction should take approximately two years and make 14-acres of lake surface off-limits to boaters while construction lasts.

This project come soon after Gainesville recieved a new five year permit to increase wastewater discharge from its Flat Creek treatment plant on the north end of the Lake.

Just be sure not to eat that fish you catch this weekend.

When local fisher Jim Russell heads to the lake, he’s generally not going out just for a relaxing day on the water.

Sure, cruising around in a high-powered boat during a warm summer day has its advantages, but as one of the top professional bass fisherman in Northeast Georgia, for him there’s more to a day at the lake than just hours spent basking in the Georgia sunshine — there’s work to be done.

1. Lake Lanier adds $5.5 billion to Georgia's economy every year.
2. Lakefront house prices have risen by around 1000% in the last 20 years.
3. Currently, there are 10,300 docks on Lake Lanier. The Corps will only allow 315 more.
4. 8 million people visit the lake each year.
5. 15,000 people live on the lake.
6. Lake Lanier supplies drinking water to 65 percent of Georgia's population.
7. The lake dropped to 1052.7 feet in December 1981. Thats fifteen feet below where it is today.
8. Lake Lanier was almost built much further south in Roswell, but the final choice was Gwinnett County because fewer people would be displaced.
9. It costs $45 million to build the lake and Buford Dam. The government now spends that much and more every ten minutes.
10. Its the best place in Georgia to enjoy a weekend away!

North Georgia is suffering through a once-in-50 years drought and over the weekend Michael Lapina, a spokesman for Lake Lanier, said that water levels in Lake Lanier are likely to fall further during the next month.

Currently Lake Lanier is 4 feet below its full pool level of 1,071 feet and is expected to fall nearly 2 more feet by the end of June. Lake Lanier's situation is pretty typical. Of Georgia’s 159 counties, 95 are in extreme drought, State Climatologist David Stooksbury said, with 49 others in severe, 12 in moderate and three in mild.

Regardless if you're a novice or an expert, Lake Lanier has several academies that offer courses for all ranges of sailors. There are basic instruction and certification courses for the beginner, as well as more specific instructional courses for the more advanced sailor. Even if you aren't the sailing type, but would enjoy a sailing cruise, there are sunset cruises available just for you. Follow the links below to find the course and academy that suits your needs.

Fishermen dispersed across Lake Lanier on Saturday, May 19th in hopes of catching one of 25 tagged fish, with one fish being worth $1 million. Sponsored by the makers of Early Times Kentucky Bourbon, other prizes included a bass boat and 23 other prizes.

Officials released the 25 tagged fish on Wednesday at different locations throughout Lake Lanier, with each release point being no less than a mile apart. Anglers were able to catch plenty of fish – even some nice size spotted bass – but none held the fluorescent green tag that could won the million dollars.