Permit me to embark on a little venting that, I'll freely admit, is devoid of scientific evidence to support my argument, but ... I'm getting sick and tired of complaining over Lake Lanier's levels.

It just seems that our state climatologists have embraced pessimism as their prevailing mantra.

Lake Lanier, after roughly two years of drought and overuse, fell to 20 feet below its average level just three months ago. Given the size of the lake, 20 feet below level equals a whole lot of water. Over those past three months, rainfall, snowfall and better conservation tactics have enabled the lake to cut that loss in half as it's gained nine feet since hitting that low point.

I think that's a step in the right direction and, given that April continues to be a time of year when rainfall is more abundant, there's great potential for the lake to rise even more.

Not so says Carol Couch, the state's Chief Pessimist, er, Environmental Protection Division chair ...

But the half-foot gain may be the last big hurrah for metro Atlanta’s primary water source before next winter. As temperatures start to climb along with water use, Lanier most likely is “peaking out,” said the state’s top water official.

“We’re still well off where we’d hoped to be,” Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director Carol Couch said Monday.

Where you'd hoped to be? Listen, you just got back half of what you lost in three months. And you got it back despite Metro Atlanta being a little less than three inches below its average rainfall. 

Were you expecting someone to have to build an ark to cope with the rain you were praying for?