NEWS BRIEF: Lake Lanier to be used as water supply after 30-year “water war”

War is over; ghost stories remain

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Photo credit: Thomson200 (Public Domain)
Who wants to drink the haunted lake water?

After 30 years of legal fighting, Georgia has secured water rights for Lake Lanier. Forsyth, Hall, and Gwinnett counties will be guaranteed water from Lake Lanier through 2050. Previously, Lake Lanier’s water was only allotted for flood control and recreation.

Started in the ‘90s, the infamous “water wars” finally came to an end last year when the US Supreme Court verified the legality of using Lake Lanier as a water supply.

Gov. Brian Kemp acknowledged, “For our growing population and job creators, this is a crucial asset.” Forsyth, Hall, and Gwinnett counties will take over 222 million gallons of water per day from Lake Lanier.

Battles over Lake Lanier’s water first started in the ‘50s when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Chattahoochee River, forming the body of water.

Lake Lanier has long been the subject of controversy and folklore. Before its creation, the land the lake sits on was a small town known as Oscarville. Over 250 families had to be relocated when the lake was made, leaving an entire town sitting beneath the water, including cemeteries with untouched graves. It’s been long said that Lake Lanier is haunted. And a string of strange deaths over the years seem to add credence to the folklore. gpb.org