SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. – Boaters at the Lake of the Ozarks are experiencing a heavy amount of debris scattered across the main channel as well as many coves up and down the massive man-made lake.

The debris, mainly wood, isn’t new. Almost every spring and early summer, dried-out debris left over from the lowering of the lake in the winter causes headaches for those on the water.

“And then when they bring the lake up, here comes all the debris floating off the bank that used to be submerged,” Billy Johnson, co-owner of Johnson Bros. Marina in Laurie, said.

Making things worse this year, several rounds of storms that drag down tree branches of all sizes into the lake.

“I’m not going to take a boat out because the minute my propeller touches (debris), it’s a $400 fix,” lake resident and avid boater Jim Rogers said.

If you do venture out, do so slowly and with eyes glued to the lake for possible debris, most of which is often partially submerged.