The Corps of Engineers at the Lake Lanier Project Office recently evaluated the possible availability of dock permits. It will be contacting people on the current waiting list on file at the Corps’ office to assign these permits.

“Our first obligation is to work through that waiting list to assign these available permits,” Rainey said. “And at this point, the names on the waiting list far exceed the number of permits that are available.”

The 2004 Lake Lanier Shoreline Management Plan and its associated Environmental Impact Statement placed a limit of 10,615 Shoreline Use Permits, i.e., dock permits, that could be issued at Lake Lanier.

As the number of permits neared its limit in 2009, an administrative change to the Shoreline Management Plan provided for a lottery system to issue the remaining permits to reach the 10,615 limit.

“Understanding that over time, permits may become available through a variety of reasons to include revocation, failure to renew permits, or community dock reconciliation, the Corps implemented another administrative change to the Shoreline Management Plan in 2012,” said Tim Rainey, project operations Manager for Lake Lanier. “That change provided for an annual review of Shoreline Use Permit availability.”

The Corps maintains a waiting list for requests for new permits and conducts an annual review of Shoreline Use Permit availability.

“Currently, there are Shoreline Use Permits available and the Corps will be contacting individuals in the order of their position on the waiting list,” Rainey said. “This ensures that our requirement of issuing Shoreline Use Permits on a first-come-first-served basis is upheld.”

Rainey said that contact with individuals on the waiting list will be done at a measured pace to maintain acceptable management of current permitting actions.