Lake Lanier is almost 2 feet lower than it was at the start of November due at least in part to an increase in the amount of water released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps announced in late October that it would release more water from Lanier and West Point Lake because of drought conditions affecting the river basin in Georgia, eastern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Lisa Parker, a spokeswoman for the corps, said in October that water would leave Lanier at a rate of 2,500 cubic feet per second, up from the minimum release of 1,100 cfs.