1/14 Carters Lake HELP

[Louie B]

A disappointing update, I spoke w/ the Corp today by phone. I was told nothing was done to the ramps last week. I had spoken w/ Lou Anne last Monday and was informed that they had plans to start on the ramps last week and be pouring this week. Well nothing was done last week according to the Ranger I spoke w/ today. He did say that they were planning to start pouring Friday....???.... Not sure why this is taking so long. Lou Anne will be out of town until Thurs according to the secretary.

I'm calling back Thursday, everyone I've spoken w/ have been extremely nice and answered any questions I've had. BUT somethings has to be done, this is ridiculous..... I encourage everyone who plans to use Carters to call the Corps office this week and ask about the ramp situation, there are people who are being affected by this lake closing. I have friends in Chatsworth/Dalton who own tackle stores and gas stations that have been affected dramatically by this. Nobody seems to care about little ole Carters, the people who use this lake need to step up and atleast try to do something about this. I'm not trying to cause any problems here, I just want my home lake OPEN, sooner than later.

here is their number: 706-334-2248
LB

 

[Guest]

What is the water level on Carters doing? Has it leveled off, continuing to drop, or is it coming back up? They will get around to extending the ramps in their own time. While I understand that the economics of it all, and Chatsworth and Ellijay are both hurting, I believe that the Corps has other pressing problems to contend with..........such as the water level itself and where to get water in the event that they aren't able to move the pumps again.

Carters is a deep lake, but after having to move the pumps once, and having to effectively shut down Chatsworth for a day, I don't believe that's another prospect that they are willing to take. They need to find a place to move water to Carters, in the event that this drought continues at the severity it has already been at.

Then again, you could always just move the barriers aside and launch your boat anyway. What would a fine for that cost someone, if caught? Would make for a quite funny siutation, wouldn't it?

It will all get better, even if it has to get worse beforehand.

 

[Rock Buster]

I will call first thing in the morning. I promise to be polite... The Corps has done a good job on Lanier keeping Shoal creek ramp open (they straiten out the gravel at the end everyday I think) and though they haven't directly extended any ramps on Lanier far enough to be usable, they have finally allowed others to do so. Charleston ramps is being extended right now, Clarks Bridge ramp is finished and now open, and from what I hear Vann Pugh ramp has gotten approval to be extended and is in the works (needs $'s I think). At least they are allowing for the improvements. When Forsyth County originally asked for permission to extend Charleston they were told NO !?!?!?!? It seems to me that most the COE employees want to help the boaters and fishermen be able to get on the water ***BUT*** the higher ups that actually are making the decisions almost seem as if they would prefer not only for the COE not to do anything to give access to the lake, but also not to allow anyone else to do anything to improve the access to the lakes... They are being more reasonable now, but why did they say no in the first place??? Very Strange I think.

Anyway Louie, I will be very polite and call and be very positive about the COE and ask if it is true that they are about to extend a ramp. Take care and hopefully I will see you out on Carters next month. Dirk

 

[Louie B]

There's plenty of water in Carters NOW, the lake level is different weekly. It has came up a lot w/ the recent rain fall, the waters only a few feet from the edge of the ramp @ Woodring. As far as the COE extending the ramps in their own time, well thats a crock.... There were no plans to extend ramps UNTIL we started calling. If so they sure didn't mention them to anybody, maybe they were just planning on extending the ramps secretly w/out telling anyone. That makes a lot of sense. The drought isn't the issue, THE RAMPS ARE THE ISSUE. DROUGHT OR NO DROUGHT the ramps can be fixed!!!! Corp has pressing issue's to deal w/?????? The Parks Dept of the Corp has a job to keep the parks in working order, that includes the ramps!!! That should be priority number 1 for the parks dept. It's been going on 4 months, 2 more and thats half the year! There is no excuse, we've offered donations, concrete and manpower for labor. There's no excuse. The ramps should have been poured months ago!

I've emailed all of my local Governament officals, no response from anyone..... Something will be done. I'm not gonna sit here and debate this subject, especially w/ some people who have no clue of how much effort people are putting into trying to get this lake open. If you want to call and atleatst voice your concern, great, if you don't thats ok to. But please dont try to justify this lake closing. Not after 4 months and rejected donations, I'm not hearing any of it!

LB

 

[Guest]

Unable to walk and fish from the bank?

 

[walleyed]

Will call in the Morning. Thank You L. B.
Walleyed

 

[Louie B]

anybody who calls please....

when you call you may want to leave a message for Lou Anne Lackey she's the parks manager. She's the one calling the shots on the ramp extensions..... She's who we need to deal w/....

Thanks alot. When it opens I'll see you there.

NWGAB---Unless your a pro rock/mtn climber there's not a lot of bank fishin opportunities. I've got nothing at all against bank fishing but I'll drive to Chickamauga before I climb to where I want to fish.

LB

 

[MooseKnuckle]

Good luck, we haven't been able to use a ramp on my home lake Normandy, since 1st of October.

 

[Louie B]

I know this is a Tennessee River based forum and most of you won't use Carters this year or possibly ever, but if you plan on coming down and chasing a trophy spotted bass w/ me or at anytime please call the Corp and let them know that we want our lake opened..... Hopefully there will be a number of people calling this week, and maybe this will get something moving..... I've had the pleasure of meeting a few of you and even booked a couple of trips on Carters w/ CFF members eveyone I've met have been good people. All have been good sportsman. Thanks for everything.

LB

 

[jon the fisherman]

I'll call today LB.....I don't know if it will help much though. With these real cold temps coming, they may not pour any concrete just yet. I'll still call though.

 

[harbuck handyman]

I fish Lake Martin in Alabama a good bit.The public ramp off C.R. 34 was extended by using prefomed concrete slabs that were trucked to the site and set into the water. That might be an option for Carters'.I wonder why Georgia Power is not helping with this.I guess they are broke too like the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.Things are tight all over.

 

[Guest]

I don't fish carter's but here is something that might get Louann's attention, call and tell em you are a rep from B.A.S.S and you are planning a big tourney on the lake in 2 or 3 months and you would like to know what ramps everyone can use, tell em that there will be over a thousand participants and you need to know of available ramps and lodging. Use reverse physology on them, might work.

 

[Rock Buster]

In response to the Question "Wonder why GA Power isn't helping with this", it is because GA Power doesn't own or control Carters Lake. If they did own it the lake would probably be at full pool, just like most ALL the other GA Power lakes (Sinclair, Oconee, Bartletts Ferry, lake Burton, etc...). Not all the north GA lakes are low, in fact all the GA power lakes in NG are right at Full Pool and some are slightly above full pool. Its the COE lakes that have been sending 10+ times more water downstream than what is coming into the lakes that are at record low levels.

 

[coach6078]

LB

I'll call in the morning

 

[harbuck handyman]

I guess those generators at the dam belong to U.S.Corp of Engineers then .Reckon whose money was used by The Corp to build that lake so the local power company could profit from it.When power companies receive Federal dollars for their construction projects they are required to provide a certain amount of public recreation facilities at that project.It sure wouldn't hurt to contact someone at Southern Companies home office to ask about it.

 

[inthebox30lbs]

I called and spoke with them today asking about the ramps. A lady told me that the plan was underway, she didnt have a time frame but said the ramp projects would start soon. I also asked her about the lake level and she said it has risen. Who knows time will tell
Scott