ATHENS, Ga. --- Despite recent rain, drought conditions in northeast Georgia have gotten worse, University of Georgia climatologist David Stooksbury says.

Exceptional drought -- the most severe level -- now exists north and east of a line running through Lincoln, Wilkes, Olgethorpe, Oconee, Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, Forsyth, Cherokee, Pickens, Gilmer and Fannin counties, Mr. Stooksbury said in his report.

The region considered in exceptional drought includes Athens, Gainesville and Atlanta's northern suburbs.

Extreme drought conditions exist in Columbia, Richmond, McDuffie, Glascock, Taliaferro, Warren, Hancock, Greene, Morgan, Walton, Gwinnett, north Fulton and Cherokee counties.

The serious lack of rain has affected several major rivers in northeast Georgia, including the Middle Oconee in Athens and the Chattahoochee near Cornelia, which posted record low flows for mid-November.

As further indication that the drought continues to grow harsher, water levels in reservoirs also are at or near record lows across most of the region, and groundwater levels are low, too, Mr. Stooksbury said.

Lake Lanier is at a record low for mid-November. Lakes Hartwell, Russell and Thurmond in the Savannah River basin also are at record lows, Mr. Stooksbury reported.

Both Russell and Thurmond have less than two feet of usable pool left, and Hartwell water levels are dropping very quickly in order to meet downstream needs.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers reports that the remaining conservation pool for Hartwell is 34 percent, 32 percent for Russell and 10 percent for Thurmond, Mr. Stooksbury said.

Even with normal seasonal rains, it's doubtful that Lanier, Hartwell, Russell or Thurmond will fully recover this winter.

Additional information and updates can be found at www.georgiadrought.org.