The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to reduce water releases, starting today and continuing through at least April 30, from Lake Lanier at Buford Dam. “After evaluating the data we determined that the decreased flows would not have a negative effect on the environmental quality of the river and would allow some minimal increase in storage for the system headwaters,” said E. Patrick Robbins, spokesman for the corps’ Mobile District. “This increased storage, while not significant at this time, could prove very beneficial to the system if weather patterns persist.”