Newsletter
October 2007 Newsletter
Message from the Executive Director
It’s Not Only the Drought!
West Point Lake and all other Corps lakes on the Chattahoochee are at extremely low levels with little hope for a return to full pools anytime soon. While there is no doubt West Georgia has experienced one of the most prolonged periods of drought in recent history, the greatest challenge facing these lakes is the Interim Operating Plan (IOP) imposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to implement it.
In very simple terms, throughout the dry summer months, more water is flowing out of these lakes, including West Point Lake, than is flowing into the lakes via the Chattahoochee River, and during the crucial wet season of the lake, winter and spring, the IOP does not allow enough water for the lakes to be refilled and levels to be sustained for the dry summer months.
To correct the situation and prevent a worsening of this natural disaster, The West Point Lake Advisory Council is calling on Congress to immediately suspend the IOP thereby compelling the Corps to Engineers to revert to the 1989 water control plan.
The IOP was devised more than a year ago by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to provide a guaranteed flow of water to Florida for endangered mussels and sturgeon. The IOP, as it exists today, is a poorly crafted plan based on flawed science. With little input from concerned citizens in West Georgia and other stakeholders across Georgia, the IOP in no way considers the basic human needs of those dependent on these lakes. Problematic in even the best of times, the continued implementation and enforcement of the IOP is having a devastating effect on much of Georgia.
The facts of an average day in the life of these lakes this past summer are undeniable:
1.21 million gallons of water per minute flow into the Chattahoochee basin
2.24 million gallons of water per minute flow out of the Chattahoochee basin
In essence, the USFWS is placing a higher value on the health and well being of mussels and sturgeon than the basic human needs supported by the entire Chattahoochee River and the Corps lakes fed by it. If the IOP is not suspended or at least modified, it is easy to see that at the current rate of water flow, there will not be enough inflow to sustain these lakes. Even worse, we may not be able to see them refilled during the wet seasons of the spring. These lakes, as we know them, will be no more and in fact will not be safe or usable and drinking water for the entire basin including Atlanta will be jeopardized.
Member of the Georgia Congressional delegation have been involved in earlier efforts to modify the USFWS position on the IOP with little effect to date. What can you do to help? Letters highlighting some or all of the following concerns can help to refocus the attention of the congressional delegation on this important issue:
Personal stories of how your home or business has been affected by the drop in lake levels
Requests for Congress to take immediate steps to promptly suspend or modify the IOP
Requests for Congress to take immediate steps to stop the current, unreasonable flows into Florida that are draining the basin
Citizens should demand a Congressional investigation into the actions dictated by the USFWS and implemented by the Corps and the resulting damage caused to the entire river system, specifically West Point Lake
Requests for Congressional action requiring the Corps to restore all lakes in the region to full pool
Requests for Congressional oversight over future actions by the USFWS and/or Corps that could potentially have devastating effects on the lake
These are just a few suggestions to be addressed in correspondence with the Congressional Delegation. While we can not prevent the devastating drought we have been in for a prolonged period, we can try to do something about the IOP with all of its faults. Silence and apathy will ensure the continued devastation of West Point Lake as well as the other Corps lakes on the Chattahoochee River. To take no action is unforgivable. The time is now for friends of West Point Lake to raise their voices and demand action from their Congressman and Senators.
Dick
Congressional Delegation Addresses
U.S. Representative Lynn Westmoreland1213 Longworth House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515202-225-5901, Fax 202-225-2515U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson120 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510202-224-3643, Fax 202-228-0724U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss416 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510202-224-3521, Fax 202-224-0103We are approaching the end of year two of the test program for the solar lights in the river channel of West Point Lake.
In order to secure approval for keeping the project, as well as adding lights to the larger creeks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has developed a survey form to obtain input from users as to what effect the lights have on your ability to navigate the lake.
Please take the time to go online and fill out the survey form. The website is:
http://westpt.sam.usace.army.mil/WP/CustomerInput/index.asp
There is a link on the Coalition website under the “Lake News” page as well as the “Water Safety Council” page.
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Our funds are depleted and in order to continue promoting and protecting the lake, we need your support.
Please try to recruit new members. We need for everyone to be involved.
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West Point Lake Coalition Annual Meeting
Message from the Executive Director:
At our annual meeting in November, we will discuss both the current and future State of the Lake; and representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be present.
Additionally, we will announce the results of the SOS Fund Raising Campaign and review preliminary results of both the Economic and Environmental Studies.
WE NEED A STANDING ROOM ONLY CROWD.
WE NEED FOR YOU TO MAKE YOUR FEELINGS KNOWN.
WE NEED TO SHOW EVERYONE THAT OUR COMMUNITY VALUES WEST POINT LAKE
WE NEED TO SHOW EVERYONE THAT WE ARE ANGRY ABOUT THE CURRENT
MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THAT AS TAXPAYERS AND CITIZENS, WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THESE CONDITIONS
WE WANT CHANGES TO THE IOP IMMEDIATELY WHICH VALUE HUMAN NEEDS, QUALITY OF HUMAN LIFE AND ECONOMIC NEEDS!
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Annual Meeting
Tuesday
November 13, 2007
7:00 PM
Best Western/Lafayette Garden Inn
1513 Lafayette Pkwy.
LaGrange, GA
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
October 2006 Newsletter
Message from the Executive Director:
As we all know, it was a painful year for West Point Lake as the lake level never reached full pool during the peak recreation season and since then. There are numerous reasons why and we have detailed several of those below: 
• The Mobile District Corps of Engineers’ overly conservative management of our lake levels.
• The Corps of Engineers’ mistaken release of 22 billion gallons of water from Lake Lanier.
• A judge’s ruling that endangered species, mussels and sturgeon, had to be protected with additional water provided to the Apalachicola River.
• A drought compounded and made worse by the above three actions.
The solution to avoiding this disaster in the future is increased storage of water in West Point Lake by maintaining an absolute minimum winter pool of 630 MSL, preferably 633 MLS, versus the Corps’ current rule curve/management practice of a 628 MSL winter pool.
We have outstanding support from Congressmen Lynn Westmoreland and Phil Gingrey as well as Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson. We have made several trips to Washington D.C. and met with them and the Assistant Secretary of the Army. Additionally, we have a new leader for the Southeast Division of the Corps of Engineers and his name is Brigadier General Joseph Schroedel. He has a wealth of water management experience and is well known as a problem solver. We have met with the General and he is aware of our needs and the economic harm that has been done to our community and individual stakeholders. We look forward to working with him and his staff to rectify this.
We have made tremendous progress in the past twelve months, but there is still much to do to bring this to a successful resolution. Our annual membership meeting ( also open to the public ) will be held Tuesday evening, November 14th, at 6:30 PM at Best Western/Lafayette Garden Inn on Lafayette Parkway, right off of I - 85 at Exit 18. We need you there and bring a friend or two! Please attend and hear the facts re: " The Battle to Save West Point Lake"; our progress to date; what needs to be done; and what you can do to help. This battle will be won or lost in the next two to three years; and our time to win is NOW! I look forward to seeing you and hearing your support of our efforts on behalf of a beautiful and safe West Point Lake on November 14th; together we can and will make a difference!
See you on the lake! --Dick
Solar Light Update:
Your WPLC Board of Directors would like to thank our own Ray Roesel, the Local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as well as Anderson & Company for the outstanding job of installation of the 102 solar buoy lights on the main river channel. Please take the time to view these lights at night. This is a tremendous asset to our West Point Lake not only from a safety standpoint but as an added feature of the benefits offered on the lake.
We are approaching the end of the second year for our solar light test program. In order to secure approval for keeping the project, as well as adding lights to the larger creeks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has developed a survey form to obtain input from users as to what the effect the lights have been on your ability to navigate the lake.
Please take the time to go online and finnout the survey form. The website is:
http://westpt.sam.usace.army.mil/WP/CustomerInput/index.asp
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY!
As you have seen, your West Point Lake Coalition has successfully lit up West Point Lake at night. Solar buoy lights have now been installed on all main channel buoy markers from the dam all the way up the river to Ringer Access. Your West Point Lake Coalition invested $20,000 in this project to make the lake more enjoyable, more navigable and safer at night or during periods of low light. This project was funded by our membership dues, our Corporate Sponsors and our fundraising events.
Needless to say, our bank account is about on empty! It is time for our "annual" membership dues renewal for 2008. Please mail your $25.00 annual membership dues as soon as possible. If you can, please include something extra to help replenish our funds for the next project; or better yet, recruit a friend to join the West Point Lake Coalition so we can continue to build our membership and political clout. Remember, all donations are tax deductible!
Corporate Sponsors:
The West Point Lake Coalition, Inc. sincerely thanks our Corporate Sponsors who financially and with goods and services continually support our efforts on behalf of West Point Lake and our community.
Interface Flooring, Hog Heaven, Coca-Cola, Diverse Power, Wendy’s LaFayette Pkwy., LaGrange Grocery Co., Community Bank & Trust, Milliken & Co., Best Western - LaFayette Garden Inn, Wal*Mart DC 6054, LaGrange-Troup Co. Chamber of Commerce , City of LaGrange, Troup Co., Wal*Mart New Franklin Road, Charles Knight Construction, Charter Bank, Comfort Inn, SunTrust Bank, McDonald Oil Co., Southern Cart Services, LaGrange Daily News, Kimble’s Food by Design, Commercial Bank & Trust, West Ga. Sportsman, Highland Marina & Resort, Hoofer’s Gospel Barn, Commercial Bank & Trust, Reliance Brokerage, Charter Foundation, Xpect.it, Hutchinson-Traylor.
If your business or organization would like to join our Corporate Sponsors for 2007, please contact our Executive Director, Dick Timmerberg, at (706) 884-5916.