FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A blaring siren signals the release of millions of gallons of water from Lake Lanier into the Chattahoochee, but after a pair of incidents on the river, some say it may not be enough warning.
Concern grew after the drowning of a 9-year-old girl and a dramatic rescue on the river, all within the past week.
"It's not a wave, it's a slow increase," Chris Lovelady of the Army Corps of Engineers told Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh.
Lovelady said the river rapids and currents gradually increase following a release at the Buford Dam and timing varies depending on where you are on the water.
Lovelady said looks can be deceiving on the river and waters can go from calm to hazardous within minutes.
Officials believe that's what happened to 9-year-old Anna Vanhorn on Friday when she was tubing with five other people. Forsyth County officials said the girl had been submerged in the water for more than an hour before they could reach her.
Every day the water levels and speed of the river are dictated by the release of water from the Buford Dam. The release is signaled by a warning siren that's audible within three miles of the dam, but Lovelady said swimmers and fishermen need to take additional precautions.
State law requires anyone on the river between the dam and Highway 20 to wear a life jacket. People on the river also need to pay attention to the speed of the water, listen for rapids picking up, and look for changes in depth like disappearing rocks.
"Below the Highway 20 bridge there's no horn system at all and all they have is a time they know the release is going to start," Lovelady said.
Jennifer Yoo was fishing just south of the dam on Tuesday afternoon. She told Kavanaugh she heads to higher ground as soon as the sirens sound.
"When they release the water, we have to move from the area. It rises pretty fast," she said.
The schedule for the release of water from Buford Dam is posted online daily, but can change minute by minute. Click here for that schedule.
The Army Corps of Engineers recommends calling an automated voice message to get the most up-to-date information before you head into the water. That number is 770-945-1466.