420 million gallons down the drain, according to the AJC. Due to a faulty measuring device, that was off by 2 feet. :shock: (They were using a yardstick and thought it was a 12 inch ruler). Perhaps there is a bright side to all this. Maybe the recreational boaters will start staying away. 
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What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
I saw that article on AJC too. Actually, I think Lanier (and Clarks Hill) are better places to sail when the wate levels are low. We get a sweet sandbar over here that is just awesome for jibing behind. And at Lanier, it sure is nice having less cove to deal with!
cnn.com had the figure at 22 billion gallons.
I like the part about the "faulty measuring device". Makes you wonder when it started to dawn on them. After the first 100 million gallons? The second 100 million? Perhaps that gurgling sound by the dam was a tip-off that something was awry.
What's the old cliche? Measure twice, drain once?
The article was a bit confusing on the amount, but I think the 22-23 billion number were total water released, while the 420 million was the amount in error. According to today's paper local residents were complaining about it saying the levels couldn't be right for a while before they finally figured it out.
What I think is pretty strange is why we are in a "draught" at all when rainfall total for the year is only 3 inches down after a excess year last year. I think the real story is that after the last draught (when everyone one said we needed to do something about it) nothing was done to create more reservoirs, etc.
I'm no climatologist, but it seems to me someone needs to figure out that about half the time you will get below average rainfall, and half the time it will be above average. If we start running short everytime rainfall is below average, were not in a rainfall deficit, but in a planning deficit.
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
This may be a case of "be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it." Today the AJC reports an Alabama judge ordered the corp to dump much more water to protect endangered species downstream. Dire predictions of lake levels falling to 1060 or below.
While the good news is that perhaps this will make recreational boaters an endangered species, the problem is that at some point, if the water is too low, the wind is not as good. (This is a big part of the problem with Galts in the winter).
In anycase, I don't think the outcome of this will depend on what's good for windsurfers. Guess we'll just have to adopt the "the Lake is half full" attitude.
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
The trend is not looking too good at Lanier. I'm still watching the forecasts for the Georgia coast and the Gulf and hoping for a road trip. I don't think they've found a way to drain the water out of the ocean yet.
And we thought we had it bad:
http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=2&guideContext=65.73&pmmsid=1669899
I guess this shows where the water we are sending down to FL is really going.
What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.
Not too bad. Pictures taken today, 6/26, of our launch. Go to the following link and click view slideshow.
http://gmathis.photosite.com/Album1/
Gene
Gene Mathis