HALL COUNTY, Ga. — While people can’t agree on whether Lake Lanier is unlucky, haunted or just plain weird, most Georgians who visit can confirm it smells.
As part of the Georgia budget for the 2027 fiscal year, $2 million is being put toward studying the smell’s causes and finding ways to help visitors breathe easy on the water.
According to documents from the state budget, the study will focus on the levels of Geosmin, Methylisoborneol and algae/bacteria in Lake Lanier.
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According to the American Chemical Society, Geosmin is a chemical compound that potent earthy odor contaminant of fish, beans, [and] water.
The National Institute of Health says Methylisoborneol and Geosmin are two of the most common causes of strange or muddy and earthy tasting water.
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The study will receive matching funds to look at ways to potentially reduce the smell at Lake Lanier as well.
According to state Sen. Drew Echols, the funding is being used for what he called a “Lake Lanier Taste & Odor Study.”
The Budget Conference Committee included the funding “to focus on the immediate concerns caused by taste and odor issues in Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River,” inspired in part by recent problems.
“We need to get a handle on reasons for the rate and severity of the taste and odor problems in Lake Lanier,” Echols said in a statement. “The $2 million in funding for a study will help us understand the underlying issues, plan for ways to mitigate future occurrences and ultimately lead to treatment options to get our water tasting great again.”
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