AUSTIN — Much of the debris carried into the Highland Lakes by the recent flood has sunk or moved ashore, but some pockets still remain.

While all Highland Lakes are again open to recreational use, boaters are reminded that debris can continue to drift to different areas of the lakes and may not be apparent.

Not only can the debris cause a hazard to boaters, it can be an eyesore when it accumulates in coves or washes onto private property.

In cases where hazardous debris has washed into the main channel of one of the Highland Lakes and poses a hazard to navigation, LCRA dispatches crews to move it to a safe location or mark it with a buoy.

LCRA's responsibility for cleaning debris does not extend to less-traveled coves or private property. As it has been in past floods, lakeside residents will need to make their own plans to clean their property following the flood event and can contact an independent contractor to do the work.

The rains triggering the drought-ending flood began in June and were punctuated by a 19-inch deluge in Marble Falls on June 27. Runoff from that rain carried debris down area creeks and into the Highland Lakes.

Even though the debris initially forced the closing to recreational boating of all LCRA lakes except for Lake Buchanan, all have since been reopened.

Lake-goers should avoid boating at night and should go slow any time of day, especially the first time they get on the lake after the flood. Slowing down allows more time to react to unexpected situations and hitting objects at a slow speed is likely to cause less damage. But serious injuries can occur even at boating speeds as slow as 20 miles per hour. Boaters can get more safety tips by visiting Nobody's Waterproof.