Scooters, chairs, apple snails found in San Antonio River draining

Officials found scooters, chairs, and apple snails during the annual draining of the San Antonio River, according to a release from the San Antonio River Authority on Friday, January 19. The city has been draining the River Walk periodically since the 1980s.

City officials began draining the San Antonio River on January 12 and finished on January 18. The river is cleaned and fully refilled. Officials conduct the draining to help keep the natural site clean, beautiful, and attractive for residents and tourists. This year, maintenance focused on the main channel from East Josephine Street to East Nueva Street and from S. Alamo Street to Lone Star Blvd.

More than 46 tons of sediment and various debris were removed from the river, according to the river authority. Items retrieved included scooters, sandbags, folding chairs, a trash can, orange cones, and other trash.

Crews also collected 2,000 giant invasive apple snails. The snails can grow up to the size of a baseball and are usually the result of aquarium releases, as pet shops sell the species. The species can wreak havoc on aquatic vegetation and can carry a rat lungworm parasite that can infect humans, according to the river authority. The snails also have lots of babies, laying weekly clutches containing between 500 to 1000 eggs.