Beachfront property in northern Georgia

By Joe McAdory

Published: December 9, 2007

Took a trip to Georgia’s Lake Lanier and Allatoona Lake over the weekend, the primary sources of Alabama’s river basins. Lanier is part of the Chattahoochee River, which flows to our east. Allatoona helps feed the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers to our west.

It’s amazing to see how much of an effect the drought has had on these watersheds. There are boats run aground, docks with no water beneath, and miles of sandy beaches ... sand that used to be under the water. It’s like someone pulled a plug on these lakes and drained them. I also went inside the Buford Dam, which is a marvel in its own right. What goes on inside that dam has a lot to do with how much water makes it downstream. Atlanta consumes a bunch of it.

I’ll be writing a package of stories about our area’s water supply in coming weeks.