lake lanier association overview presentation march 2014

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Lake Lanier Profile

Major Georgia Natural Resource

Headwaters of ACF Water System

~65% of ACF Water Storage

~6% of ACF Water Shed Drainage Area

Created in Mid 1950s

~39,000 Acre Reservoir Area

~637 Billion Gallons of Water – 354 Billion Above the Conservation Zone

~650 Miles of Shoreline

North Georgia Economic Engine

~8+ Million Annual Visitors

~10,600 Docks

10 Marinas

Estimated $300 Million in Recreational Economy Annual Impact

Water Supply for Millions of Georgians

Where are we Today

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10 Year Average Lake Levels

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1060

1061

1062

1063

1064

1065

1066

1067

1068

1069

1-Jan 1-Feb 1-Mar 1-Apr 1-May 1-Jun 1-Jul 1-Aug 1-Sep 1-Oct 1-Nov 1-Dec

Lake Lanier Elevation Levels10 Year Average 2004-2013 Calendar Years

Who We Are

Established in 1966

1,700 Memberships – ~3,000+ People

Recreational Users

Fishing, Sailing, Skiing, Tubing, Camping

Businesses

Property Owners

Active Board of Directors

Community Contributions

Representation

Legal Issues

Corps of Engineers

Other Community Groups

ACF Stakeholders Organization

1071 Coalition

Lanier Basin Advisory Committee

Lake Lanier Water Safety Alliance

Education/Political Forums

Information

Newsletters

Email

Internet Social Networking

Programs

Annual Shore Sweep Event

Adopt-A-Lake

Boating Safety

Rules of the Road Decals

Solar Lighting on Hazard Markers

Property Owner Pledge Agreement

Lake Advocacy

Water Quality

Water Levels

Water Safety

Legal Advocacy

Gwinnett County—Wayne Hill Waste Water PermitEstablished new, higher standard of waste water treatment permit requirement.

Tri-State Water WarsSeeking recreational use and economic impact recognition

The only non-municipality or power company represented in the litigation

20+ Years of Debates and Challenges

Georgia’s right to drinking water from Lanier re-instated by 11th Circuit and

upheld by U.S. Supreme Court

Current Legal Threat from Florida lawsuit in U S Supreme Court

SCOTUS asked for legal opinion from Solicitor General

Engaged with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to update operating plan

incorporating 11th Circuit legal decisions

1073 Full Pool Sponsorship

Raise the “Full Pool” Water Level at Lake Lanier

Increase Level From 1071 to 1073 Feet Above Sea Level

Provides New 26+ Billion Gallon Reservoir

More Storage Than The Sum of All Proposed New Reservoirs

Very Modest Cost For Implementation

One Bridge Will be Raised – Mt. Vernon bridge in Hall County

Some Ramps Expanded

Some Recreation Facilities Adjusted

A Few Property Owners Will Update Their Shoreline Riprap Investment

History—Lake Lanier Has Been 1073 Over 300 Times and over 1077 Six

Times

Proposal Originally Made by LLA in 2006

Process will eventually involve Congressional authorization

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Shore Sweep

20+ years annual event

1,000 volunteers

13 lake locations

30+ tons of debris pulled ANNUALLY from the lake

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Why Do We Need Shore Sweep?

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Other Lake Issues – Ad Hoc Concerns

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Forsyth County/Browns Bridge area– Oct 2012Hall County/Flat Creek-Aug 2012

Hall County/Laurel Park area-Mar 2012

Nexus with Real Estate Industry and Professionals

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Property Values vs LLA Effectiveness

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Lake Property Value Differential

Weight of

LLA

Programs

Property

Values

Lake Lanier Association Effectiveness

Membership

Quantity

Quality

Effective Programs

Clean Lake

Full Lake

Safe Lake

Lake Advocacy

State House and Congress

Government agencies at all levels

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Summary

Lake Lanier Watchdog Organization for 40+ Years

Sustained by Active Membership

Clean Lake / Full Lake / Safe Lake - Mission

We Need Each Other

Questions?

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