CHICO >> Passersby lined up on the bridge overlooking the Sycamore Pool in Chico on Wednesday as the city began its three-day cleaning operation after draining the popular swim site.

By 11 a.m., bulldozers had built a massive mound of rocks and debris along the deep end while some scrubbed the bottom by hand.

On the opposite side, workers used power washers to clear muck off of the pool’s floor.

A press release by the city issued Tuesday said the pool would be closed through Friday as workers cleaned. Generally this happens in May, but it was delayed to add more time for the spring run of salmon spawning.