Lake Lanier is still several feet below full pool, Gwinnett County officials said Friday.
Much of metro Atlanta — including Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth and Fulton counties — remains in Level 2 drought response despite state authorities loosening water restrictions in much of the state on Thursday. That's a direct result of the water levels at Lake Lanier.
“Lake Lanier is a large reservoir, fed by smaller streams that have been slow to recover from the drought,” Gwinnett Department of Water Resources spokeswoman Karen Shields said in a news release. “As a result, Lake Lanier has been slow to refill and is currently 10 feet below full pool.”
MORE: Photos: Lake Lanier water levels, highs and lows
MORE: Watch: Abandoned houseboat crushed on Lake Lanier shores
The 12 Georgia counties that remain in the Level 2 drought response declared in November all lie in the basin of the Chattahoochee River, which feeds into and flows from Lake Lanier. Click here for a full list of those counties.
The ongoing drought levels in metro Atlanta mean outdoor water restrictions. Those include bans on washing streets, sidewalks and driveways; using decorative fountains and waterfalls; non-commercial pressure washing; fundraising car washes; and non-commercial washing of vehicles.
Watering lawns is restricted to two days a week.
Those with even numbered addresses can water between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays; odd numbered addressed can water between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. on Thursdays and Sundays.
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