Corps reopens Water Control Manual Update scoping process
 The scoping process for the ACF River Basin has been reopened. A Federal Register Notice of Intent was published on November 19 to reopen the scoping period. The purpose is to revise the scope to be consistent with the July 17 court decision.
The notice document states that the scope will be revised as follows:
- The Corps will not continue to accommodate present level of withdrawals beyond 2012;
- The Corps will not consider a reallocation of storage for water supply at Lake Lanier;
- Lake withdrawals will be limited to 10 mgd (8 mgd for Gainesville and 2 mgd for Buford);
- The required off-peak flow at Buford Dam will be 600 cfs. Therefore, "when the Corps is not generating hydropower to meet peak demand, the Corps will not release more than 600 cfs from Buford Dam to support downstream water withdrawals."
Comments may be submitted on the Corps web site until January 2, 2010 to be considered in the updated scoping report.
The water control manual spells out how our reservoirs should be managed, including how much water is released from Lake Lanier. 1071 Coalition members have pushed hard for the update, as the current manual is 50 years old and the ACF basin, particularly with metro Atlanta’s growth, has changed drastically over the years.
It’s time to renew your membership and support the 1071 Coalition
Since the 1071 Coalition was launched just a year ago, we have made great strides in inserting our priorities of the health and prosperity of Lake Lanier into the dialogue of ongoing water issues that will have an impact for years to come. With the support of nearly 200 members, we have had presence in the news media and in the boardrooms where important water policy discussions are being held. In all these discussions, we remain focused on our mission of advocating for science-based, updated management practices of Lake Lanier, and we need your membership renewal to continue this critical work for the long term.
Please consider renewing your membership to the 1071 Coalition today. We are making progress towards all our objectives, but need your support to continue.
Happy Holidays!
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