Lake Lanier Georgia - Lake Lanier Drought Marinas Parks

Every weekend during August people have been gathering in large number at Clarks Bridge Park on Lake Lanier. They are practicing one of the fastest-growing sports on the lake - Dragon Boat Racing.

Dragon Boat racing is popular across Asia. The boats are long and narrow canoes that are often rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails and are required to carry a large drum aboard.

Flat Creek, Gainesville

One of the worst areas of the whole lake is close to the industrial section of Gainesville. Flat Creek is a stream just south of Browns Bridge and catches the runoff from many factories plus output from a wastewater treatment plant. The stream is also clogged with trash including old tires, shopping carts, and household appliances.

The problem in Flat Creek is so bad that the Gainesville and Hall County governments are putting up $350,000 study for a study on the area.

We're delighted to announce the launch of a new feature on LakeLanier.info - 100% free classifieds ads. If you have a boat, jetski or anything else, you can sell it here, for $0 and 0 cents.

Three Simple Steps to Post Your Ad

1. Create an account
2. Write your ad
3. Click save!
   

More Information About Your Free Ads

• You can post as many ads as you wish
• Your ad will run for 2 months and then you can renew for free
• Its free to add photos

Despite all the recent rain around Lake Lanier it seems that water levels on the lake continue to drop.

The principal reason for the continually dropping water levels? The rivers flowing into Lake Lanier remain low. State Climatologist David Stooksbury put it this way:

The International Amateur Tour (INT League) will hold an open qualifiying event at Lake Lanier Islands Beach and Waterfront Park on Saturday, August 18. Successful qualifiers will then be eligible to compete in the wakeboarding INT national championship that is set to be held October 10-13 in Zachary, Louisiana.

The all-day event will be held at Lake Lanier Island's cove at the beach near the waterpark. The cove will be a no-boat, no-wake zone for the event. The event will be sponsored by Atlanta Inboard, Gainesville Marina, and JOA Marine.

Feel like you've heard this story before?

You're not alone. These fights are springing up all over Lake Lanier as the pace of development increases. The latest dispute is on the Cleveland Highway, on the north end of Lake Lanier.

Potential Toll Road Route from i75 to Lake Lanier

There are suggestions that the highway could be paid for by private companies that would get repaid by tolls.

• What are the most popular restaurants and marinas on the lake?
• What's the best place on the lake to fish?
• What are the best and worst things about Lake Lanier?

We aim to answer all these questions and more via the 1st Annual Lake Lanier Survey.

What is more .... take this quick 10 question survey about Lake Lanier and you get free entry into a prize draw. We have Lake Lanier books, restaurant gift vouchers and even cash prizes.

What are you waiting for? Take the survey now!

There's a new addition to the list of books about Lake Lanier.

"The Home Place" is a novel by by Mike Addington based on two mysterious deaths in Lake Lanier over 50 years ago. The writer was living in the Gainesville area and was 7 years old when his family received a call in the middle of the night in December 1956. One uncle had been found dead outside of a submerged car in Lake Lanier, while another uncle was missing and also presumed drowned. The bodies of both men were located in a shallow inlet of the lake in Forsyth County.

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.