Due to the prolonged drought, anglers in Georgia and Florida could have serious problems, as well as the entire city of Atlanta. Currently Lake Lanier is down to its lowest point in 50 years. This could mean the destruction of Laniers Striper fishery if they do not get water soon, but what is worse is the fact that there could be no water for the city of Atlanta.. this means drinking water, or water to fight fires. Currently there is a 6 month water supply.. and with waste water treatment plants dumping into the lake it will soon not have enought CLEAN water to mix with the treated water.
Okeechobee is down to 10.2 from the normal 12 to 13 foot level that they try to keep it at.. guides and businesses on that lake are suffering quite a bit.
Anglers in Tennessee and Kentucky too are affected by the drought. Barren River has not made it to summer pool all year, and Lake Cumberland and other lakes could use a serious amount of water to guarantee that we have water to drop into the river. Dale Hollow is being used to keep the flow of the Cumberland River high enough for navigation to Celina. Since it is only 25,000 acres (As opposed to the normal 80K for Cumberland) that means that water is leaving that lake faster than it can be replenished and that is after they kept water in the lake early in the spring.. so say a prayer that we get some nice rains over the normally DRY fall in Kentucky and the South.
Jim Dicken
Editor Fishin.com