Take Me To Post Comment Form Lake Lanier's "normal" full pool is 1,071 feet. But over the past decade or so, the lake has rarely actually been at full pool.

I heard a scientist on NPR this morning say that drought is a natural phenomenon and there's always a drought somewhere in the United States. But it does seem as if Georgia has had more than its share of drought in recent years. We entered a dry period in 1999 and didn't pull out of it until about 2003. Then in 2006 Georgia slid back into what turned out to be the worst drought in a century.

Basically, we've spent about five of the past eight years dealing with drought. So here's my question to our readers: Should Georgia, and especially metro Atlanta, proceed as if drought is the "new norm" and plan accordingly? In other words, rather than simply praying that things will soon get back to normal, should we assume that drought is part of a long-term climate pattern and accept it as a way of life?

The problem with our current attitude is that when there's a water "crisis," everyone is vigilant about conservation. But as soon as we start getting some rain, people go back to their wasteful habits and don't make permanent changes to their behavior.

Your thoughts?