Debris fills parts of Lake Pleasant

LAKE PLESANT, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – Tons of debris have poured into lake pleasant, and it’s beginning to cause problems not just for those looking to enjoy the water. “We went out there paddle boarding, and there’s was just a bunch of debris on my paddle board,” said Christopher Fernandes, who went to the lake Sunday.

Debris and trash can be seen throughout the lake. The current and winds caused much of it to pile up at Pleasant Harbor. Harbor Master Chad Case said many boats at their docks will have to sit tight during this time. “We feel for those people. They can’t motor through this because motoring through this will cause damage to your boats,” said Case.

The snowy winter the state saw brought Arizona some much-needed water. Now, that water is picking up whatever it can as it makes its way to the lake. This can cause problems for boats if they aren’t careful. “The sawdust, that plugs up the cooling system. Most boats are raw water cooled they bring lake water up to cool the motor, and that sawdust just clogs it up solid,” said Case. Some of the debris can be much bigger than what can be seen from the surface. “You hit a 40 foot log that’s going to do significant damage.”

Case said they are working to remove the debris, but it’s a long process which they hope to have a lot done by Memorial Day. “Very similar to how you would an oil spill, except oil you can absorb with pads, you can’t absorb this debris up. We’re going to pull it towards one of our ramps where we have equipment that can scrap it up,” said Case.

You can still boat out at the lake; just be extra cautious of that debris. Case recommends you have a spotter while out on the water to avoid hitting any of it.

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