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Big Canoe Water Supply - What Drought?
By djelliott999 | February 13, 2008
Our company, IBA Mountain Homes, is located in the North Georgia mountains about 60-70 miles North of Atlanta. Over the past few months we have fielded several calls from clients in different parts of the country with the same concern. They were worried about the water shortage in Georgia. According to all the news sources I have read, Atlanta and much of Georgia is in a horrible drought. My own observations confirm that these areas are definitely short on water…and then we have our little community here in Big Canoe.
First, let me explain my un-scientific (although firmly grounded in the school of common sense) method. Our present reservoir in Big Canoe is Lake Petit. On occasion, I fish in Lake Petit for trout. There is a good fishing spot I like that happens to be near a tree that has fallen into the lake. Above full pool, this tree is obviously completely submerged. Most of the time, this tree has a foot or two exposed out of the water. At the height of the drought here in Georgia during the late summer, my benchmark log had about 3-4 feet exposed. Currently, it has about half a foot exposed, meaning Big Canoe’s water source is pretty much right where it should be if you were figuring averages.
So why does Big Canoe have water when these other areas are suffering? I believe a big part of the solution/problem is carrying capacity. Simply, Big Canoe has not exceeded its capacity to provide water to its residents. Over the past year, an additional reservoir near Blackwell Creek was constructed to handle increased water demand for the future. I do realize that the water shortage problems in Georgia are compounded by the demands of other states to the South, but it does make me sit back and wonder when city planners, communities, and politicians will realize they cannot develop to the point that the demand for natural resources outstrips the supply of these resources. I would also like to point out that developing to the point that the whole system is stressed to nearly its breaking point is just about as bad.
I am not anti-developer, but I am also not foolhardy enough to think that resources such as water are in unlimited supply. Whether you believe or do not believe in the theory of climate change and global warming, keep this in mind. Communities do have a responsibility to handle their natural resources. As I am writing this article, my wife pointed out a story on the internet regarding Lake Mead and Lake Powell (in the Southwest US) both at critical levels and possibly running dry by 2021. Obviously, there is a problem, but does there have to be?
While I do not want to get totally derailed discussing global warming and city planning, I do want to point out that some communities have done a fantastic job of ensuring that development does not outstrip the available resources. Big Canoe is one of these communities. So, back to the clients that inquired about the water shortage in Georgia? Yes, there is a shortage…but not in Big Canoe. We have successfully managed our water (and other resources) to provide for the present and the future. How do I know? I just have to look at the politically unbiased tree in the water where I fish. It always tells the truth.
Topics: All Posts, Big Canoe Real Estate |
February 26th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
It is releaving to know that Big Canoe is blessed by cool running waters, trout and a tree!
February 26th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Hi Randy -
Don’t make fun of my tree! Seriously, it is a ‘good thing’ to have a stable water supply, but a big part of the stability is due to not over-stressing the available resources.
February 28th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
[...] I recently wrote a blog article regarding our water supply in the Big Canoe community of North Georgia. The article goes into more detail, but the gist of the story is that good and proactive management of natural resources is a big part of the equation involved in ensuring that demand does not exceed supply to the point of upending the whole apple cart. A short drive North of metro Atlanta will lead you past one of the main water supplies for the state of Georgia, Alabama, and North Florida - Lake Lanier. Right now, Lake Lanier is more dirt than water. Too many people dipping into the lake combined with a shortage of rain have drained it to record lows. In contrast, our water supply in Big Canoe, Lake Petit, is healthy. If Lake Petit is not at full pool, it is darned close. This has an obvious tie-in with management of resources other than water. [...]