Through late February 2008, the water level at Lake Lanier had risen less than 3 feet from the record low of 1050.8 ft on set on December 28, 2007. The latest graph can be seen here. Rainfall in the area during the month of February was only slightly below normal.

Brett Whitin, hydrologist with The Southeast River Forecast Center (SERFC) recently released statistics on the seasonal recharge (or refilling) of Lake Lanier. Among other things he points out:

• The average winter/spring recharge is 8.9 feet. So, in a “typical” year the lake will rise about 9 feet.
• But...in years when the lake level is unusually low, the average recharge is 11.4 feet.

For details and many more statistics, be sure to read this article in the SERFC Journal.

The Southeast River Forecast Center (SERFC) also recently quantified the importance of 'Frequency of Rainfall' in the recovery of water levels in Lake Lanier. Read the article written by Hydrologist Brett Whitin for the SERFC Journal.

This article is in ".pdf" format which can be read using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Comparison of Water Levels on Lake Lanier September 2007 versus January 2008 ( click images to enlarge ) Photos courtesy Bill Kinsland.
Lake Lanier in September 2007 as seen from Highway 60 in Hall County.	Lake Lanier in January 2008 as seen from Highway 60 in Hall County.