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Folsom Lake Winter Debris Still Clogging Boat Ramps For Memorial Day

FOLSOM LAKE (CBS13) — Boaters trying to get an early start on the holiday weekend are facing problems on Folsom Lake ahead of Memorial Day.

The lake's boat ramps are clogged with wood and debris washed downstream from a storm winter.

Park rangers will be patrolling the area, but they are concerned about going out on the lake themselves. What looks like a twig from the top of the lake could carry a bigger hazard underneath.

Tony Tonso and his daughter Tiffany tried to get an early start on the upcoming Memorial Day weekend but were faced with a logjam. They had to move around a mass of sticks and larger branches in the pathway.

From above, the enormity of the mess is clear, with debris piled along the shore, washed down by a record winter of rain. Workers are trying to clear it, but there's only so much a tugboat can do.

Officials say an area around the Granite Bay boat launch is probably the worst, and Folsom Point is a better bet for boat launching.

Crews will continue to clear debris, but it's unlikely to be finished by the holiday weekend. Patrols will still be out there to make sure boaters are observing the speed limits on the water, as there's a roaming island of debris in the middle of the lake that shifts with the breeze.

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