What happens to the debris on the lake?

[Springmillvol]

I have wondered sometimes where all the debris and trash that shows up in times like these ultimately goes, especially the large sticks and logs? Does it sink? Eventually wash ashore again? Collect down at the dam? I saw lines of debris maybe 20 yds wide and several hundred long floating this weekend. it was accumulating what seemed to be the outside edges of the main current which would make sense.

 

[porthos33]

Good question.....I think it just travels through the system. As the water levels drop back down some of the stuff gets caught up on the banks and flats and is new cover for the rest of the year. A lot of it must go down to the dam and through the flood gates I would think.

 

[jman60]

With floodgates open it flows right through the dam.

 

[finbully]

There are "trash racks" at the dams near the flood gates and generators. These trash racks are not entirely visible (partially or fully submerged). They are cleaned out as needed and the debris is hauled off to a landfill. While some of it goes through the gates this is not desirable since the debris can cause damage going through. But as has been said some of it sinks and some of it ends up on the shorelines.

 

[Gliderman166]

They have a trash gate on the end of the dam next to the generators, it's used to let debris, especially big stuff, through to downstream.