San Antonio River drained for biennial cleanup

👋 Madalyn here! Last week, we warned you the San Antonio River was about to lose its signature emerald glow for a scheduled cleanup through Monday.

State of play: It's officially (mostly) dry now. The river still has a thin layer in some parts, but the exposed water lines show just how much has been emptied. The drained stretch runs from West Josephine Street down to Southtown, where I took these photos.

• That includes the "river loop," the postcard-famous section packed with restaurants and bars that tourists know best.

The vibe: When I stopped by on Monday, plenty of people were peering over railings to catch a look and snap photos. The river is only drained every two years, after all.

• The waterfowl shuffled along the swampy riverbed, looking just as surprised by the scene as everyone else.

What's next: City crews will reveal what they pulled from the riverbed later this morning.

• I spotted aluminum cans, a traffic cone and a flimsy office chair. In past cleanups, crews have uncovered scooters and even historic objects — including revolvers, arrowheads and stone tools.