Lake Lanier one of the world’s most dangerous lakes? World Atas thinks so.
The following are six of the most dangerous lakes in the U.S.: Lake Michigan, Lake Mead, Crater Lake, Lake Okeechobee, Lake Lanier, and Lake Tahoe. “They consistently rise to the top of danger lists because they combine powerful currents, cold shock, sudden weather, submerged hazards, and, in some cases, a grim history of mass-casualty floods and shipwrecks,” the publication wrote recently who describing its findings.
So exactly what does the report say about Lanier?
“Lake Lanier’s ranking reflects a high accident count at a single, extremely busy inland lake. News outlets drawing on Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures report more than 200 deaths on Lanier since 1994, largely from drownings and boating accidents,” according to the report.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates roughly 11-12 million visits a year, which means even a conservative tally works out to at least about 0.6 deaths per million visits over the long term, unusually high for one recreation reservoir. Much of that risk comes from what lies under the water: when the lake was created in the 1950s, former towns, roads, forests and cemeteries were flooded, leaving behind tree stumps, foundations, and debris just below the surface.
“A diver interviewed by Atlanta’s WXIA described “diving in Lake Lanier” as probably one of the most dangerous things he’d done, because of entanglement hazards and poor visibility.
“Combine that with millions of visitors, heavy holiday boat traffic, fluctuating water levels, and alcohol use, and Lanier becomes a lake where crowded conditions and hidden obstacles translate into a higher-than-average fatality rate.”
You read the full report, including what the publication says about each of the lakes here: The Most Dangerous Lakes in the United States
Earlier this year, World Atlas declared Lanier one of the state’s most snake-infested lakes:
World Atlas: Lanier among most snake-infested bodies of water in Ga.