The combination of warmer than usual weather, lack of precipitation and the early emergence of plants from winter dormancy has helped lead to near-record low stream flows for this time of year on many rivers in Georgia. Here are a couple of examples. The Chattahoochee near Cornelia is at record low flows for this time of year. This is helping to contribute to the low reservoir levels on Lake Lanier. The Middle Oconee River near Athens is also close to a record low for the date, with flows that are similar to what we see on average in mid- to late summer.
Rain yesterday across northern Georgia should show up in the hydrographs in the next couple of days, but levels will probably sink again quickly if we don’t get more rain. You can see on the US map how many stations are at or near their record lows for the date in the eastern half of the US, while the West remains very wet. These images are from the US Geological Survey at https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/.
