Experts still worried about Lake Lanier recovery

ATLANTA - Lake Lanier's level still remains low, despite rain last weekend and another reduction in water released from the reservoir.

John Feldt, the hydrologist in charge at the National Weather Service's Southeast River Forecast Center, said more than two inches of rain or more frequent rainfall is needed in the basin that drains into the lake to raise it two to four feet.

The forecast calls for rain on Wednesday, but Feldt said he does not expect that rain to make the difference.

He said the lake is ready to receive rain because the ground is moist, meaning any rainfall will move quickly into streams that feed Lanier.

As we reported Monday, the level of the lake before the storms on Friday and Saturday was at 1,054.74 or 13.5 feet below average for this time of year and about 16.5 feet below full pool. The lake had reached 1,055.62 by Wednesday morning feet by Tuesday afternoon, a rise of less than 1 foot.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Friday reduced the amount of water released from the federal reservoir at the request of the state.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story).