A group of about 30 guests enjoy a tour of Lake Allatoona on Tuesday, organized by Sean Nicholl, chairman of the Lake Allatoona Association.
Staff/Samantha M. Shal
Staff/Samantha M. Shal
"This is a great way for people who care about the lake to talk about the issues facing the lake," said Sean Nicholl, chairman of the association.
The group suggests maintaining the lake's summer water level throughout the fall and into the winter, Nicholl said. The Army Corps of Engineers manages the lake and drains it down 17 feet each fall.
Nicholl said the decrease in water level exposes portions of the lake's bottom. Rainfall then washes soil, debris and trash into the lake, affecting water quality, he said.
Association members also told leaders about preparations for the upcoming Great Allatoona Cleanup, an annual event designed to help clean litter and trash from the lake's shores after the summer travel season.
Nicholl said about 4,000 volunteers were needed for this year's cleanup, set for Sept. 17. The 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona has about 270 miles of shoreline in Cherokee, Cobb and Bartow counties. The event is organized by the Lake Allatoona Association and the Lake Allatoona Preservation Authority.
The association is a nonprofit group focused on providing educational and conservation information to the public.
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The winter drawdown does not in any way effect the water quality other than to cause it to be turbid during the winter months. The lake naturally clears as the pool is restored by inflows in the spring.
Now, to argue on the side of the LAA, the flood control capability of Allatoona is not what it used to be when land use around the lake and ripairean to the river both up and downstrea o fthe dam was primarily woods, pastures and agriculture. Those in Rome that think Allatoona is their "savior" are sadly mistaken. There will be an event that occurs in the future that will prove this out.
Now if LAA wants to be influential and carry out its "mission" where were you during the TMDL Study and comment period? Oh I know, the same place LAPA was hiding behind a rock.