Watch CBS News

Folsom Lake Filled With Debris, Boating Difficult For Visitors

GRANITE BAY (CBS13) - It was a Fourth of July celebration and the party going was on at Folsom Lake.

"Happy 4th of July!"

So much so the lake reached maximum capacity.

"We got turned around. That's the first time that that's ever happened and we were shocked," said Krista Bernasconi of Roseville.

But despite the crowds of people, logs were also jamming up the fun.

"We had to pile all those logs up just so we could get through the water," said Myrna Kitchens of Roseville.

From the shore to the water though, it was a slightly different story.

"It's a little bit choppy. There's a lot of boats out here, but it's great," said Mike Funk.

Plus, there was a lot less debris.

"Occasionally you have to keep an eye out but it's not like there's huge logs all over the place," said Suzanne Funk.

The Funk family has been on the lake their whole lives, but this season has been tough to navigate.

"Now I'm talking to you, but a month ago I wouldn't have been able to do that," Mike said.

"The debris was really bad, I've never seen it that bad before," Suzanne added.

They may only look like twigs at the surface, but underneath they're massive logs and can do major damage.

Just last month Folsom Lake was loaded down with logs and trees. The record winter rain washed down all the debris and crews have been hard at work to clear a path.

"It's wonderful, absolutely wonderful," Mike said.

He's grateful not just for the rain filling up the lake, but for the heroes who make a day like this possible.

"It's great to be an American today and to enjoy the freedom that we have," he said.

Crews are still working on clearing the debris and hope to have majority of the mess cleaned up in time for Labor Day.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.