How the Potomac Flats became the Tidal Basin

Photo Credit: Flickr, christophersmith29

About the Basin – August 17, 2018

The Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. is probably most notable for its breathtaking cherry trees that drip soft pink blossoms into the water as spring emerges. However, there is more to this appendage of the Potomac River than meets the eye.

In the mid-1800’s, commerce in the popular shipping ports in the District was hampered by silt build-up along the shores. It was also a health issue. The silt build-up, known as Potomac Flats, sat with stagnant raw sewage and was a breeding ground for malaria-laden mosquitoes.

Authorities decided something needed to be done with this unhealthy eyesore in the Nation’s capital.  Congress agreed it should be enjoyed by the people of the city, ordering it as “forever held and used as a park for the recreation and pleasure of people.”

Around the turn of the century, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) developed a plan to dredge the river, create the Washington Channel (the stream of water that runs through the basin and then between Potomac Park and the mainland), and dump the dredged silt onto the remaining part of Potomac Flats. This created the East Potomac Park portion of the basin and the modern shape of the Tidal Basin that we all know and love.

To keep silt, raw sewage, and other unwanted problems from building up, USACE installed a gate at each entrance of the basin. During high tide, the gate at the river allows water to enter the basin while the gate at the channel closes, filling the basin. As the tide ebbs, the gate to the Washington Channel opens while the gate at the Potomac River closes. Silt and other pollutants quickly drain through the channel. The Library of Congress has some diagrams of how the Tidal Basin functions to prevents stagnation and all the problems that come with it, such as algae growth, funky smells, and silt build-up.

This engineering marvel ensures that visitors from around the corner and around the world can enjoy the beautiful sites of the Tidal Basin. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial can all be seen along the 2-mile loop around the basin. Walking and running along basin trails are popular activities for both locals and tourists alike. Pedal boats, available for rent, can provide a unique perspective of the natural beauty in this wholly man-made structure.

Library of Congress, Call Number HAER DC,WASH,574-

One Basin, One Future: ICPRB Promotes a Sustainable Water Future

New report addresses water resources in the Potomac River basin for today, tomorrow, and the future.

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin is proud to announce the publication of the Potomac River Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan.  The Plan addresses issues of ensuring reliable drinking water supplies, improving water quality and ecological health, and sustainable land use management as it relates to water resources.  It was compiled using a collaborative process that engaged diverse stakeholders that included representatives from different levels of government, regions of the basin, water use sectors, and nongovernmental organizations, and it recommends actions that each stakeholder group can take.

The Plan builds on existing state and local efforts and is intended to complement those efforts by paying particular attention to water resource issues of interstate- and/or basin-wide significance.  It serves as a guide to the status of water resources in the basin and provides a basis for deciding how the needs of one water use can be accommodated while still providing for other uses.  The report’s recommendations include greater information sharing, improved data collection, greater coordination among user groups, and identification of common goals.

The ICPRB will use the Plan to set priorities for its activities in coming years and hopes those activities will be a catalyst for the Plan’s implementation in collaboration with other stakeholders and the public.  Looking ahead, ICPRB expects to periodically evaluate basin wide progress toward a vision of the Potomac River basin as a national model for water resources management that fulfills human and ecological needs for current and future generations.

The comprehensive planning effort was partially built on nearly five decades of experience working with Washington Metropolitan Area water suppliers to provide a safe, reliable water supply system for the region during extreme droughts without stressing the Potomac River, the major source of drinking water. The successful system has been continually enhanced through regular studies of demand, alternative water sources, threats to source water, and possible effects of climate change on the system. These experiences in cooperative research and decision-making have informed the water resources comprehensive plan.

“The Potomac basin has a history of collaborative efforts among the basin states. The Potomac River Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Plan can serve as a common platform for analyzing and prioritizing the efforts that can serve the public’s many interests while preserving the resource into the future,” said ICPRB Executive Director Carlton Haywood.