Lake Lanier Water Level
Georgia · Chattahoochee River
Sponsor Lake Lanier
Put your marina, real-estate, or local business in front of everyone checking this lake's level. One exclusive sponsor per lake.
Cancel anytime · Questions?
Water level history
About Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier is a reservoir on the Chattahoochee River in Georgia, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It's the most-visited U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake in the country, serving metro Atlanta. Its full summer pool sits at 1071 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from USGS gauge 02334400 and update every 15 to 60 minutes.
Understanding Lake Lanier's water level
Lake Lanier sits at the top of the Chattahoochee River just north of Atlanta, and it is the most important water-supply reservoir in the region, which is exactly why its level is watched so closely. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates Buford Dam for hydropower, for flood control and navigation downstream, and to supply drinking water to metro Atlanta. Full summer pool is 1,071 feet above sea level, with a winter pool just one foot lower at 1,070, so in an ordinary year Lanier barely moves on a seasonal schedule. Instead, its level is a running tally of how much water Atlanta has drawn and how much rain the upper Chattahoochee has delivered.
That balance is the heart of the long tri-state water wars. Georgia, Alabama and Florida all claim rights to the water Lanier stores, and downstream users depend on what the Corps releases from it. In 2009 a federal judge even ruled that Congress never formally authorized Lanier as a water-supply source for metro Atlanta, throwing the lake's core purpose into question for years. Decisions about how low Lanier can go are therefore shaped by courtrooms and Corps water-control manuals as much as by the weather, which makes this lake unusual among recreation reservoirs.
Drought is what turns that dispute into a crisis. During the 2007 to 2008 drought Lanier fell to a record low of 1,052.34 feet on November 22, 2007, and kept dropping into December, roughly 20 feet below full pool. Its record high was 1,077.2 feet back in April 1964. With more than 10 million visitors a year, the Lake Lanier Islands resort, and a shoreline that hosted the 1996 Olympic rowing and sprint canoe events, even a few feet of drop is felt quickly across the lake's ramps, docks, and 692 miles of shoreline, because there is almost no built-in seasonal cushion to absorb it.
Lake Lanier — frequently asked
Why does Lake Lanier's water level change?
The Corps operates Buford Dam to supply metro Atlanta's drinking water and to make hydropower, meet downstream flows, and control floods. Because the summer and winter pools differ by only about a foot, Lanier's level is driven mostly by the balance between rainfall in the upper Chattahoochee and how much water Atlanta withdraws, not by a seasonal drawdown.
What is full pool for Lake Lanier, and what is the record low?
Summer full pool is 1,071 feet above sea level and winter pool is about 1,070. The record low was 1,052.34 feet on November 22, 2007, during the historic 2007 to 2008 drought, and the record high was 1,077.2 feet in April 1964.
What are the tri-state water wars, and how do they affect Lake Lanier?
Georgia, Alabama and Florida have fought for decades over rights to the Chattahoochee water Lanier stores. In 2009 a federal court ruled Congress never authorized Lanier for metro Atlanta water supply, and the Corps must balance Atlanta's withdrawals against downstream needs. As a result, how far Lanier is allowed to fall is partly a legal and management decision, not just a matter of rainfall.
Why is Lake Lanier low even though it is not drawn down for winter?
Lanier has almost no planned seasonal drawdown, so when it sits several feet below 1,071 it usually means drought, with Atlanta's water withdrawals and downstream releases outpacing the inflow. That is what drove the 2007 to 2008 record low near 1,052 feet.
What happens at Lake Lanier when levels drop several feet?
Because docks and shallow boat ramps are built around the 1,071-foot pool, they are the first things affected as the lake falls toward drought lows like the 2007 record of 1,052 feet. The shallowest ramps become hard to reach and floating docks sit lower, which is why marinas and boaters track the gauge during dry years.
What is Lake Lanier used for?
It supplies drinking water to metro Atlanta and provides hydropower, flood control, and downstream navigation flows, while serving as one of the most visited recreation lakes in the country. It draws more than 10 million visitors a year for boating and fishing and is home to the Lake Lanier Islands resort.
Other lakes near Lake Lanier
- Lake AllatoonaGA
- Lake Blue RidgeGA
- Carters LakeGA
- Lake ChatugeGA/NC
- Lake HartwellGA/SC
- J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill)GA/SC
Add this gauge to your website
Run a marina, boat rental, guide service, or real-estate site on Lake Lanier? Put this free live-level widget on your page — just copy and paste the code: