Tidal Basin#Future plans

The concept of the Tidal Basin originated in the 1870s to serve both as a visual centerpiece and as a means for flushing the Washington Channel, a harbor separated from the Potomac River by landfills where East Potomac Park is now situated.{{Cite news|last=Blair|first=Elizabeth|date=October 31, 2020|title=Landscape Architects Unveil Plans To Save The National Mall's Tidal Basin|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/21/926042188/landscape-architects-unveil-plans-to-save-the-national-malls-tidal-basin|access-date=June 30, 2021|work=NPR News|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630083543/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/21/926042188/landscape-architects-unveil-plans-to-save-the-national-malls-tidal-basin|archive-date=June 30, 2021|url-status=live}} Colonel Peter Conover Hains of the United States Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the Basin's design and construction.[https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/482480 Chapel], p. 32.

The Basin was initially named the Tidal Reservoir.[https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/482480 Chapel], p. 42. It later received the name of Twining Lake to honor Major William Johnson Twining of the Corps of Engineers, who served on the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia as its Engineer Commissioner during 1879.[https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/482480 Chapel], pp. 26, 109.

In the Commissioners' annual report to Congress for that year, Major Twining proposed to create the tidal reservoir and use its water to help "flush" the Washington Channel.[https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/482480 Chapel], pp. 26–27. A 1917 map of Washington that the U.S. Public Buildings Commission prepared shows the Basin with the name "Twining Lake".{{cite web|author=Public Buildings Commission|url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3852m.ct000616/?r=0.059,0.015,0.927,0.439,0|title=Washington, the Mall and Vicinity: Buildings Occupied By Various Government Activities: 1917|format=map|year=1918|lccn=88690910|location=Washington, D.C.|publisher=United States Senate|access-date=February 17, 2021|via=Library of Congress}} (Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division)

West potomac park.jpg|Satellite image of the western portion of the National Mall, the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park (April 2002). The Washington Channel (not visible) is to the right of the Tidal Basin.

The Matthews-Northrup up-to-date map of Washington, D.C. LOC 88693353.tif|1897 map of Washington, D.C., showing the "Tidal Reservoir", the Potomac River and the Washington Channel

Tidal Basin photographers and painter.jpg|Tidal Basin between 1909 and 1932 with cherry trees in blossom

In August 1918, the Congressionally-funded Tidal Basin Bathing Beach opened in front of the site of the present-day Jefferson Memorial. Although the racially-segregated beach was "a place to see people and be seen", a strictly-enforced rule prohibited women's bathing suits that stopped more than six inches above the knee.{{cite news|last1=Knapp |first1=Jackson |title=Once Upon a Time, the Tidal Basin Was a Swimming Beach |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/08/26/once-upon-a-time-the-tidal-basin-was-a-swimming-beach/|access-date=February 11, 2024|work=Washingtonian |date=August 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206053126/https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/08/26/once-upon-a-time-the-tidal-basin-was-a-swimming-beach/|archive-date=February 6, 2023|url-status=live}}

By one estimate, the beach attracted up to 20,000 people on a July day in 1920. The beach hosted beauty contests until 1922, when a beach official banned the pageants for being too risqué.

Congress had planned to open a separate beach for African-Americans nearby, but southern senators blocked the plan. Rather than integrating the beach, Congress ordered its dismantling in 1925.

File:Beauty contest - Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C..jpg|Tidal Basin beauty contest (1919)

File:Potomac Tidal Basin female swimmers (cropped).jpg|Female swimmers posing at the Tidal Basin Bathing Beach (1920)

File:Orphans at the Tidal Basin.jpg|Orphan girls playing in the Tidal Basin in 1924. A float and a diving platform are in the background.

File:26032u.tif|Swimmers and an announcer participating in an event at the Tidal Basin Bathing Beach, with the Washington Monument in the background. (August 1924)

The Tidal Basin was the scene of an incident involving the Chairman of the United States House Committee on Ways and Means, Democratic Congressman Wilbur Mills. At 2:00 a.m. on October 7, 1974, Park police stopped Mills' speeding car, whose driver, Albert G. Gapacini, had not turned on its headlights. Also in the car was an Argentine stripper known as Fanne Foxe. After the police stopped the car, Foxe jumped into the nearby Tidal Basin and was rescued. Police stated that both Mills and Foxe were intoxicated and that Mills was bleeding from his nose and scratches on his face.{{cite news|last=Green|first=Stephen|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/tidalbas.htm|title=Mills Admits Being Present During Tidal Basin Scuffle|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=1974-10-11|access-date=June 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012185456/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/tidalbas.htm|archive-date=October 12, 2008|url-status=live}}

The Tidal Basin covers an area of about {{convert|107|acre|ha}} and is {{convert|10|ft|m}} deep. The Army Corps of Engineers designed the Basin to enable it to release {{convert|250|e6USgal|m3}} of water captured at high tide twice a day. The inlet gates, located on the Potomac side of the Basin, allow water to enter the Basin during high tide. During this time, the outlet gates, on the Washington Channel side, close to store incoming water and block the flow of water and sediment into the channel.{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/dctidalbasin.htm|title=Tidal Basin, Washington, DC|work=National Mall and Memorial Parks|date=July 5, 2018|publisher=Department of the Interior: National Park Service|access-date=February 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213083003/https://www.nps.gov/articles/dctidalbasin.htm|archive-date=December 13, 2020|url-status=live}}

As the tide begins to ebb, the general outflow of water from the Basin forces the inlet gates to close. This same force is applied to the outlet gates, which open into the channel. The force of the water running into the channel sweeps away the Basin's built-up silt

The Corps, which maintains the Basin's gates, has restored their functioning. As part of the restoration and redesign of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, completed in 2012, water is pumped from the Basin to fill the pool.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-lincoln-reflecting-pool-nearly-ready-after-34-million-reconstruction/2012/08/06/74f2f998-dcb9-11e1-9974-5c975ae4810f_story.html |first=Michael E.|last=Ruane|title=Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool nearly ready after $34 million reconstruction |newspaper=Washington Post|date=August 6, 2012|access-date=June 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710103500/https://www.washingtonpost.com/web/20170710103500if_/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-lincoln-reflecting-pool-nearly-ready-after-34-million-reconstruction/2012/08/06/74f2f998-dcb9-11e1-9974-5c975ae4810f_story.html|archive-date=July 10, 2017|url-status=live}}

From mid-March until October, paddle-boats are available for rent at a dock near the eastern end of the Tidal Basin.Multiple sources:

• {{cite web|url=https://boatingindc.com/boathouses/tidal-basin/|title=Tidal Basin|work=Boating In DC|publisher=Guest Services, Inc.|year=2021|access-date=February 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214154130/https://boatingindc.com/boathouses/tidal-basin/|archive-date=February 14, 2021|url-status=live}}
• Coordinates of paddle boat dock: {{coord|38.884623|-77.034729|format=dms|dim:450|name=Tidal Basin paddle board dock}} The activity is popular during the Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place in April.

File:Bench in water due to flooding Tidal Basin Washington DC 2024-01-13 09-24-46.jpg

Sea level rise and land subsidence has caused portions of the paths next to the water to regularly flood at high tide. To address this problem, the Trust for the National Mall brought together in 2020 five design firms to re-imagine the Tidal Basin's future.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/02/climate-change-is-coming-for-the-tidal-basin-in-washington-dc/|title=Climate change is coming for the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.|last=Kennedy|first=Sarah|date=February 17, 2020|website=Yale Climate Connections|language=en-US|access-date=February 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607161121/https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/02/climate-change-is-coming-for-the-tidal-basin-in-washington-dc/|archive-date=June 7, 2023|url-status=live}}

After completing an environmental assessment that found that a planned project would have no significant impact "on the natural, cultural or human environment" in the area, the National Park Service (NPS) then announced in 2023 that would renovate approximately linear {{convert|6,800|ft|m|0}} of seawall along the Basin and parts of West Potomac Park.Multiple sources:

• {{Cite web|date=March 6, 2023|url=https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=127004|title=For Review - Rehabilitate Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park Seawalls Environmental Assessment |publisher=National Park Service|access-date=February 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117022415/https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=127004|archive-date=January 17, 2024|url-status=live}}
• {{Cite news |last=More |first=Maggie |date=June 1, 2023|title=National Park Service Approves Plan for Improved Tidal Basin Seawall |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/national-park-service-approves-plan-for-improved-tidal-basin-seawall/3359392/ |publisher=NBC Washington |access-date=February 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211155802/https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/national-park-service-approves-plan-for-improved-tidal-basin-seawall/3359392/|archive-date=February 11, 2024|url-status=live}}

The Basin's seawall will become {{convert|4.75|ft|m|2}} taller and will stand on a new foundation to prevent it from sinking further. The NPS will increase the widths of the walkways around the Basin from the existing {{convert|8|ft|m|2}} to a planned {{convert|12|ft|m|1}} by enlarging the area's paved surface and reducing its green space. In August 2023, the NPS awarded a $113 million contract to construct the project, which it expected to start in mid-2024 and take three years to reach completion.Multiple sources:

• {{cite web|date=August 29, 2023|url=https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/news/seawallcontract.htm |title=National Park Service awards contract to repair Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park seawalls |publisher=National Park Service|access-date=February 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004121257/https://www.nps.gov/nama/learn/news/seawallcontract.htm|archive-date=October 4, 2023|url-status=live}}
• {{cite news|last=Cho|first=Aimee|date=August 30, 2023|title=National Park Service announces $112 million project to repair seawall around the Tidal Basin |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/national-park-service-announces-112-million-project-to-rehabilitate-seawall-abound-the-tidal-basin/3413938/ |publisher=NBC Washington |access-date=February 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211161314/https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/national-park-service-announces-112-million-project-to-rehabilitate-seawall-around-the-tidal-basin/3413938/|archive-date=February 11, 2024|url-status=live}} In 2024, the National Park Service cut 158 of the nearly 3,700 cherry trees total to rebuild the seawall.{{Cite web |last=Ramirez |first=Shania Shelton, Rachel |date=2024-03-14 |title=National Park Service set to remove nearly 160 cherry trees in DC to repair seawall {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/14/politics/national-park-service-remove-cherry-trees-dc/index.html |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=CNN |language=en}}

File:Kutz Bridge - Independence Ave SW- Washington DC.jpg

The Kutz Memorial Bridge crosses the northern lobe of the Tidal Basin, carrying eastbound Independence Avenue traffic in three lanes.Coordinates of Kutz Memorial Bridge: {{coord|38.886948|-77.039395|format=dms|dim:500|name=Kutz Memorial Bridge}} The bridge's name commemorates Brigadier General Charles Willauer Kutz, a Commissioner of Engineering for the District of Columbia during the first half of the 20th century.Multiple sources:

• {{cite web|url=http://www.hscl.cr.nps.gov/insidenps/report.asp?STATE=DC&PARK=NAMA&SORT=&RECORDNO=153|title=Kutz Memorial Bridge - Res. 332|author=Park Historic Structures Program, National Park Service|work=List of Classified Structures |publisher=National Park Service|access-date=September 29, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924032452/http://www.hscl.cr.nps.gov/insidenps/report.asp?STATE=DC&PARK=NAMA&SORT=&RECORDNO=153|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}
• {{cite web|url=http://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/Inventory%202009%200%20Alpha%20Version%2003%2011.pdf|title=District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites |publisher=District of Columbia Office of Planning - Historic Preservation Office |date=September 30, 2009|access-date=May 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105032209/http://planning.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/op/publication/attachments/Inventory%202009%200%20Alpha%20Version%2003%2011.pdf|archive-date=November 5, 2014|url-status=live}}<
• {{cite web|last1=Bobeczko|first1=Laura L.|last2=Robinson|first2=Judith H., Architectural Historians, Robinson & Associates, Inc.|date=July 31, 1998|url=https://www.nps.gov/nationalmallplan/Documents/EastWestPotomacParks_HR1999.pdf|title=Kutz Bridge|work=East and West Potomac Park Historic District: Revised National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (July 16, 1999): Continuation Sheet 7.26|publisher=United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325222344/https://www.nps.gov/nationalmallplan/Documents/EastWestPotomacParks_HR1999.pdf|archive-date=March 25, 2021|url-status=live}}

Architect Paul Philippe Cret designed the multi-span plate girder bridge, which the engineering firm of Alexander and Repass constructed. Construction began in 1941 and reached completion in 1943. The bridge was dedicated after alterations in 1954. The structure is made of concrete and steel on pilings with granite facing. It is {{convert|433|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|46|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} wide.

File:Tidal Basin panorama - Washington, DC.jpg in July 2009, showing The Washington Monument on the left and the Jefferson Memorial on the right.]]

File:Washington DC Tidal Basin.jpg|The Tidal Basin at night.

File:Tidal Basin blossoms by Matthew Bisanz.JPG|The Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial during the 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 31, 2010)

File:Cherry Blossoms Tidal Basin Washington DC 2024-03-24 18-13-40 1.webm|Cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in the afternoon

Image:Tidal basin inlet gate.jpg|Inlet gate
(November 2011)

File:FDR Memorial and Cherry Trees.JPG|Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
(April 20, 2008)

File:Washington C D.C. Tidal Basin cherry trees.jpg|The Tidal Basin with cherry blossoms (April 1999)

File:Cherry blossom tidal basin wall - 2013-04-09 (9985513955).jpg|Tidal Basin cherry blossoms (April 9, 2013)

File:National Mall & Memorial Parks (0a548549-dbac-41b7-9726-8b73d7e448a7).jpg|Tidal Basin marina and paddle boat dock (April 2, 2019)

• West Potomac Park
• List of lakes in the Washington, D.C. area
• Architecture of Washington, D.C.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web|last=Chapel|first=Gordon|url=https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/482480|title=Historic Resource Study: East and West Potomac Parks: A History|date=June 1973|location=Denver, Colorado|publisher=United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service: Historic Preservation Team: Denver Service Center|access-date=June 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227235351/https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/482480|archive-date=February 27, 2021|url-status=live}}

{{Commons category|Tidal Basin}}

{{geoGroup}}

• {{HAER |survey=DC-9 |id=dc0620 |title=Tidal Reservoir}}
• {{HAER |survey=DC-9-A |id=dc0621 |title=Tidal Reservoir, Inlet Bridge |link=no}}
• {{HAER |survey=DC-9-B |id=dc0622 |title=Tidal Reservoir, Outlet |link=no}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060426040721/http://dcpages.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=Paddle-Boating-on-the-Tidal-Basin Paddle Boating on the Tidal Basin]
• [http://www.dcmemorials.com/index_indiv0001194.htm KUTZ, Charles W: Plaque on Kutz Bridge at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.]

{{Washington DC landmarks}}

{{Potomac River System}}

{{NPS|url=http://www.nps.gov/nacc/pphtml/subnaturalfeatures19.html}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Chesapeake Bay watershed

Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Washington, D.C.

Category:Landmarks in Washington, D.C.

Category:Potomac River watershed

Category:Reservoirs in Washington, D.C.

Category:Southwest (Washington, D.C.)