Drought Grips Nearly Half Of U.S.

Moderate To Extreme Drought Parches Southeast, West And Mid-Atlantic States

(CBS/AP)  If there's a ground zero for the epic drought that's tightening its grip on the South, it's once-mighty Lake Lanier, the Atlanta water source that's now a relative puddle surrounded by acres of dusty red clay.

Tall measuring sticks once covered by a dozen feet of water stand bone dry. "No Diving" signs rise from rocks 25 feet from the water. Crowds of boaters have been replaced by men with metal detectors searching the arid lake bed for lost treasure.

Lake Lanier's the primary source of drinking water for more than 4 million people, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann. But levels have plunged to eight feet below normal. And without rain in another month, levels could drop another five feet, passing the record low.

"This lake is a survivor," Jeff "Buddha" Powell told a worried customer at his bait shop along the barren banks.

"If you panic, you don't help Mother Nature," he added. "It's going to rain when it rains."

But this is a once-a-century drought, reports Strassmann. In the best estimate, without rain, metro-Atlanta has 120 days left of usable drinking water.

That dire prediction has some towns considering more drastic measures than mere lawn-watering bans, including mandatory rationing that would penalize homeowners and businesses if they don't reduce water usage.

"We're way beyond limiting outdoor water use. We're talking about indoor water use," said Jeff Knight, an environmental engineer for the college town of Athens, 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, which is preparing a last-ditch rationing program as its reservoir dries up.

"There has to be limits to where government intrudes on someone's life, but we have to impose a penalty on some people," he added. "The problem is how much and who. That gets political. But it's going to hurt everyone. We're all going to share the pain."

About 26 percent of the Southeast is covered by an "exceptional" drought, the National Weather Service's worst drought category. The affected area extends like a dark cloud over most of Tennessee, Alabama and the northern half of Georgia, as well as parts of North and South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia.

Meanwhile, a drought parching much of the West and Southeast spread into the Mid-Atlantic area in September, the government reported in its monthly climate summary.

At the end of September about 43 percent of the contiguous United States was in moderate to extreme drought, the National Climate Data Center said Tuesday.

The Great Lakes, which together make up about 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water, have been in decline since the late 1990s. Lakes Huron and Michigan were about 2 feet below their long-term average levels, while Lake Superior was about 20 inches off, Lake Ontario 7 inches below and Lake Erie a few inches down.

Government forecasters say the Georgia and Alabama droughts started in early 2006 and spread quickly. Sweltering temperatures and a drier-than-normal hurricane season contributed to the parched landscape.

Now residents are starting to feel the pinch.

Restaurants are being asked to serve water only at a customer's request, and Gov. Sonny Perdue has called on Georgians to take shorter showers. The state could also impose more limits within the next two weeks, possibly restricting water for commercial and industrial users.

In North Carlina, Gov. Mike Easley stopped short of imposing statewide water rationing but asked people to stop watering lawns and washing cars.

"A bit of mud on the car or patches of brown on the lawn must be a badge of honor," Easley said Monday. "It means you are doing the right thing for your community and our state."

As conditions worsen, the Army Corps of Engineers has become a favorite target of lawmakers in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, where the drought has intensified a decades-old feud involving how the Corps manages water rights.

"I particularly am disappointed that the Corps has allowed so much water to drain out of our reservoirs, out of our lakes, as they have," said Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, a Republican. "It's not that we haven't had enough water. It's more a function of allowing so much of it to go downstream."

On Friday, Perdue threatened to take legal action if the Corps continued to let more water out of a north Georgia water basin than it collects. And the president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce said on Monday that businesses could also line up behind a legal challenge.

"We have an ongoing water crisis in metro Atlanta. And it is the biggest and most imminent economic threat to our region," said Sam Williams, the chamber's president.

Scientists have little reason to hope the drought will ease anytime soon.

The Southeast Climate Consortium warns that a La Nina weather system is forming, which could bring drier and warmer weather for Florida and most parts of Alabama and Georgia.

"When we need to recharge our water system, this is what we don't want," said state climatologist David Stooksbury, who predicted that it will take months of above-average rainfall to recoup the losses.

In Atlanta, officials are nervously watching the dropping level of Lake Lanier, the sprawling north Georgia reservoir that provides water for 1 in 3 Georgia residents. The latest measurements have become a fixture on nightly television newscasts in Atlanta, where the drought is often the top story.

There is a silver lining of sorts in the middle of the drought: Guides say the lake's fishing is as good as ever, if not better.

"Less water, less places to hide, I guess," said Chuck Biggers, a guide who has roamed the lake's waters for four years.

[rudy654-2009]

Hmm. No comments from the anti-global warming Limbogg crowd. How interesting.

[matter77]

It has nothing to do with global warming. There''s been drought before, and there will be drought again. Do you think everything peculiar that happens with the weather is caused by global warming? What would explain drought a hundred years ago, that was far worse? Why do you have to reduce everything to some redneck us against them political ***? Even scientists have to repeatedly come out and state that events like this, a hurricane or whatever, is not directly attirbutable to global warming. Besides, what if everyone in the World agreed totally. What difference would it make? Do you think that if only the people who disagree with you were eliminated then global warming would disappear? Who knows and who cares what you think? That''s what really makes you mad. No one cares what you think. Is everyone supposed to think you are THE scientist who blew the whistle and you are THE expert? For crying out loud, you don''t know spit about the climate except what you hear on redneck radio, just like everyone else.

[farmerbb]

Try taking a "navy" shower. This came about for lack of fresh water on warships, I believe. Use water only to wet yourself down, then turn it off. Lather up with soap, then turn the water back on to rinse. Saves a LOT of water doing it this way. Get into the habit of this type of shower, and all of us will benefit.

[speakinup]

Bush''s fault - yup, that''s it Bush''s fault.

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by matter77 at 06:41 PM

Ah...There you are! LOL!

[s1ckd09]

Hmm. No comments from the anti-global warming Limbogg crowd. How interesting.

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Posted by rudy654 at 06:24 PM : Oct 16, 2007


Hmm. This has nothing to do with global warming or Limbaugh. How obvious.

[mcv57]

matter77, you are alsolutely right. Media hyp! If all the active volcanoes on the planet went full blast, we would suffer another ICE AGE. A couple of nukes could set-off the imminent. So Greenpeace efforts are worthless and vane.

Our earth is long over due for a change. Man has proven to be nothing more than virus, plague, another animal. Perhaps apes could do a better job in maintaining respect for courage, honor, and morals.

[jonesforch]

Lack of rain anyone?

[retiredusaf3]

I beleive that if you search really hard you will find that Al Gore and his EVIL Global warming crowd are behind this. All the worlds water has been locked in deep under ground caverns and high mountain reservoirs by Al and his world consortium(SPECTRE). Don''t any of you remember studing the cycles of weather in school. Remember the Depresion with the dust bowls across America. GET REAL. Just a cycle of Mother Nature and Al has you by the purse strings again.

[rick_vt]

On the plus side, ole'' Donald isn''t going to be pushing to build another golf course bearing his name anywhere around there in the near future. Can''t have a brown dusty course for his rich cronie friends.

[geekendwarrior]

Why did it take so long to place a ban on outdoor watering in the Metro Atlanta area?

Did politicians want to keep support of those who can afford to water their lawns?

Eh Sunny?

[grammawhamma]

farmerbb: I bet Gore would never take a "navy" shower...or any other politician for that matter...no matter how dry it got.

[king77shaw]

the cause and effects of global warming are now indisputable - and carefully crafted by the oil drunk republican party and their traitorous kingpins in the Bush administation - the Republican plan since the 1970''s has been to promote global warming which is why they have spent considerable resourses demonizing the environmental movement and cooking the climate science books -- why? there are HUGE oil reserves under the polar ice caps that can only be drilled once the ice caps are gone or significantly diminished - what better way to get rid of the ice than to melt it - this is why Bu$hCo has so vehamently opposed any plans to curb global greenhouse gases - it would put a damper on their decades long master plan..

[homespunlady]

Just a couple observations:
A few years back when climate change was less of a Halloween scare and still considered WAY off from happening there was an interactive map projecting possible effects as the global temperature would have risen.
I can''t find hat site anymore maybe someone else knows if it''s still out there. It was interesting as I''m in the center of the US and it was extremely dry around here in the late summer.
This year I guess this area is one of the few areas in the nation with adequate rainfall and actually MORE than usual.

The Second COINCIDENCE is that in researching investment vehicles I ran across an odd article about certain investors buying up WATER RIGHTS and taking over municipal systems as a profit-making venture.
It was a couple years back but it emphasized that there WOULD be future water shortages and that FRESH WATER was "predicted" as the Next best profit opportunity after oil with even more potential as it was a greater necessity.
From the article it seemed a LOT of those rights in strategic areas were being QUIETLY bought up back then.

Is that possible - I didn''t believe it then but with this "drought" hitting some of the most populous areas could people face being GOUGED the way we''re being taken to the cleaners over oil through such a set of arrangements?

Could WATER become a PRIVATIZED for profit COMMODITY?

[ubrew12]

homespunlady said: "Could WATER become a PRIVATIZED for profit COMMODITY?"

In the 1930s my Grandpa invested in a Dam in Colorado. To this day it remains the best investment he ever made, worth far more than the LAND he bought at around the same time.

However, that is the WEST. Consider historical fresh water patterns. The east generally doesn''t have a problem and that becomes more true the further north you go. The SE may have more water pressure in years to come, but it''ll be alleviated from time to time by rains.

Another thing. California already sends water from excess northern CA to water-deprived southern CA. Expect more such canals to be built in the future to alleviate southern areas with excess northern fresh water.

[michellem99-2009]

We have lived drought places. We were told as a people no washing cars,no watering our yards, Washing clothes they had to be full loads, short washing our persons ,CONSERVE...No camp fires, no smoking in dry places..

[jcr103]

Welcome to global climate change ***.

[smirk5]

I prayed for this drought. God has answered my prayers.
Thank you God.

[rudy654-2009]

Hmm. This has nothing to do with global warming or Limbaugh. How obvious.
Posted by s1ckd09 at 07:52 PM

Of course not! Limbaugh certainly wouldn''t want you to believe anything he hasn''t taught you. Now be a good Limbite and wait for him to tell you what to think on his next show about global warming. He is such a good source, I know. Oops...look what the EPA says about global warming:

"While food production may benefit from a warmer climate, the increased potential for droughts, floods and heat waves will pose challenges for farmers."

Ah, but what do they know? I bet Limbogg is the better scientist. I bet he knows everything, with all that talent on loan from gaaaawwd.

[smirk5]

Shouldn''t all the fundies down there just pretend it isn''t a drought? They should try the same strategy their party has for global warming. Deny it and it''ll go away.

[smirk5]

It''s raining here just fine. Rain is in the forecast for the next few days. I think I''ll take a 2 hour shower.

[mcvet]

Hey all you crackers maybe one of those Value Pol''s that sold you down the river can get some of that water back. One thing is certain all you hatred, lies and outright superior ways has NOT made you many friends in the rest of the country or the world. When you start turning the pages of our history you find one constant... YOU have been the worst citizens on this planet. You better hope the REAL American''s aren''t like you. Maybe you can get one of your preacher friends who claims to talk to God to put in a request for some water? Sieg Heil Y''all. ROFLMAO

[mcvet]

I beleive that if you search really hard you will find that Al Gore and his EVIL Global warming crowd are behind this. All the worlds water has been locked in deep under ground caverns and high mountain reservoirs by Al and his world consortium(SPECTRE). Don''''t any of you remember studing the cycles of weather in school. Remember the Depresion with the dust bowls across America. GET REAL. Just a cycle of Mother Nature and Al has you by the purse strings again.


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Posted by retiredusaf3 at 08:32 PM : Oct 16, 2007
+ report abuse

ROFLMAO You just keep telling yourself that Sparky. By the way the "dust bowl" effect was MORE the result of stupid farming than draught! But hey when your a stupid cracker and need to hang on to your hate for those ugly "liberals" you''ll buy just anything won''t you. Not to worry though. Those ugly old "liberals" will come to you aid as they always have... can''t understand why but they do. Sieg Heil Y''all.

[mcvet]

Bush''''s fault - yup, that''''s it Bush''''s fault.


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Posted by speakinup at 07:32 PM : Oct 16, 2007
+ report abuse

The intelligence of a fascist!! Wow! Breath taking!! ROFLMAO Well at least your fuhrer has FINALLY admitted there is Global Warming... wonder if that will bring rain? ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush!!

[jowand]

The intelligence of a fascist!! Wow! Breath taking!! ROFLMAO Well at least your fuhrer has FINALLY admitted there is Global Warming... wonder if that will bring rain? ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush!!


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Posted by MCVet at 07:10 AM : Oct 17, 2007

HEY hows my favorite Nazi doing this morning, still ZIG HELLING I see?

[jowand]

But hey when your a stupid cracker and need to hang on to your hate for those ugly "liberals" you''''ll buy just anything won''''t you. Not to worry though. Those ugly old "liberals" will come to you aid as they always have... can''''t understand why but they do. Sieg Heil Y''''all.


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Posted by MCVet at 07:06 AM : Oct 17, 2007

Racist whacko

[gunownerdan]

One thing good about a drought, water levels can be much lower making it easier to find ancient artifacts and fossils. If you get really lucky, some of them can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars to a collector.

[retiredusaf3]

LOL No jowand He is just a certifiable wacko.

[simonsez40]

Too bad that drought isn''t right over Crawford, Texas - I''d be fine if that ''pseudo-ranch'' would wither and blow away taking it''s owner and family.

[pollroller1]

Well, I have been studying this drought and have figured out the problem and how to solve it. First we have to..... WHAT''S THAT DEAR..... Gotta run, the wife is calling.

[sjbabes]

After reading everyone''s comments on the "drought situation" get somehow turned into political garbage and childish name calling, I can see why this country has turned into what it is today. And as for the comment from simonsez40, central Texas HAS been in a severe drought for nearly a decade, they are now coming out of it and it was really bad for the people & animals that live there, just like the people and animals where the droughts are now. Not that anyone making these postings care about any of them, but then your comments already show that.

[whatithink-2009]

"Not that anyone making these postings care about any of them, but then your comments already show that.
Posted by sjbabes"

- If the people of Central Texas would have cared about the rest of us, they would have kept GW in Texas.

[whatithink-2009]

These people RE-ELECTED Bush and Company. Thanks for nothing.

[hungry1968]

Well, I have been studying this drought and have figured out the problem and how to solve it. First we have to..... WHAT''''S THAT DEAR..... Gotta run, the wife is calling.

Posted by pollroller1 at 09:14 AM : Oct 17, 2007



Who''s this - Guiliani?

[sjbabes]

Whatithink, a lot of Texans weren''t the ones that voted Bush out of Texas and into DC, but, well at least now he''s out of Texas.

[nottellin1]

McVet sure does a lot of rolling around on the floor. I wonder if he has the ''superbug''?

[michellem99-2009]

I don''t care for Bush..Mother Nature cause the drought and we have conserve the water...Water is not free as we have to pay for it and it is called a water bill. Yer told what yer can and can''t do. They have bans..When it is dry with very little rain ,drought,heat wact etc they put warnings out. It is not *Me ,Myself and I* thinking here but others on this issue. Yer right them fat cats are worse than we poor.