Nearly two years ago, in December 2007, Lake Lanier reached its all-time low water level of 1,050.79 feet above sea level, more than 20 feet below full pool.

On Wednesday, the lake topped full pool at 1,071 feet, buoyed by heavy rains throughout the spring, summer and early fall.

In Sunday’s Times and on gainesvilletimes.com, we’ll take a look at the lake’s two-year drought journey in pictures, with a look at several areas around Lanier during the low-water period and those same spots again today. The images of then and now offer a stark picture of how far the lake has come in a short period of time.