CUMMING, Ga. (AP) - The Army Corps of Engineers says high water levels have made it unsafe to swim or boat in Georgia's Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River.
The Corps tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement that water must be released out of Buford Dam 24 hours a day for the next two weeks starting Wednesday. The statement says recent heavy rains have raised Lake Lanier over its full pool elevation of roughly 1,000 feet (300 meters), and levels are expected to rise with more precipitation being forecast.
The Corps says the release will cause the Chattahoochee River to flow at speeds that would make recreational swimming "impossible." Corps spokesman E. Patrick Robbins also says only experienced boaters should attempt navigation.
Lake Lanier is roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta.