KENT ISLAND, Md.- Since early summer, flooding in areas up north has brought tons of freshwater and debris down through the Susquehanna River. The debris passes through the Conowingo Dam and ends up in the Chesapeake Bay.

Most of the debris consists of large tree trunks and limbs. Now, Maryland's Department of Natural Resources says a lot has been cleared in the upper bay, but four months later, the cleanup continues.

In total, officials say they've picked up more than 150,000 pounds of debris since cleanup started. A lot of that debris ends up along shorelines. If not cleared and thrown away properly, Maryland DNR says boater safety could be at risk.

On Wednesday morning, Natural Resources Manager Chris Ruark drove his work boat closer to shore, while his teammates, Matt O'Neal and Aaron Nelson, stood ready with a crane and tong in tow. As the boat nears shore, the men get to work, sawing and taking apart large tree trunks and bringing them aboard.

Ruark says it's slow, steady work they've been chipping away on and off for months.

"With the crane movement and and cutting pieces of wood...it's just a lot to be very safe," Ruark said.

The crew says the work is nothing new, but record rainfall from states up north has brought an unexpected amount this year.

"It seems like every time we go some place, there's something new," Nelson said. "Probably one of the worst ones that that I've seen in a long time."

The boat can only take up 7,000 pounds at a time. After more than an hour of hauling, it means Ruark and his team can head home.

Ruark says, though they've made progress, the cleanup effort in the Chesapeake Bay will likely continue well into next year.