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Tidal Basin

Coordinates:38°53′03″N77°02′21″W/ 38.88417°N 77.03917°W/38.88417; -77.03917(Tidal Basin (District of Columbia))
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This article is about Washington D.C.. For London, UK, seeTidal Basin railway station.For the natural landform type, seebasin.For generic artificial basin or vessel that can be flooded and drained, seedrydock.
Tidal Basin
The Tidal Basin (foreground), theWashington Monument(on left) and theJefferson Memorial(on right), July 2016
Tidal Basin is located in the District of Columbia
Tidal Basin
Tidal Basin
LocationWest Potomac Park,Washington, D.C.,U.S.
Coordinates38°53′03″N77°02′21″W/ 38.88417°N 77.03917°W/38.88417; -77.03917(Tidal Basin (District of Columbia))
TypeArtificial
Primary inflowsPotomac River
38°52′49″N77°02′25″W/ 38.88028°N 77.04028°W/38.88028; -77.04028(Tidal Basin (District of Columbia) Inlet Gate)
Primary outflowsWashington Channel
38°52′58″N77°01′59″W/ 38.88278°N 77.03306°W/38.88278; -77.03306(Tidal Basin (District of Columbia) Outlet Gate)
BasincountriesUnited States
Surface area107 acres (0.43 km2)
Average depth10 feet (3.0 m)
Surface elevation3 feet (0.91 m)
References"Tidal Basin".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.

TheTidal Basinis a man-madereservoirlocated between thePotomac Riverand theWashington ChannelinWashington, D.C.The Basin is part ofWest Potomac Park,is near theNational Malland is a focal point of theNational Cherry Blossom Festivalheld each spring. The nearbyJefferson Memorial,Martin Luther King Jr. MemorialandFranklin Delano Roosevelt Memorialoverlook the Basin, which is south of theWashington Monument.

History[edit]

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 thePotomac Riverby landfills whereEast Potomac Parkis now situated.[1]ColonelPeter Conover Hainsof theUnited States Army Corps of Engineersoversaw the Basin's design and construction.[2]

The Basin was initially named theTidal Reservoir.[3]It later received the name ofTwining Laketo honor Major William Johnson Twining of the Corps of Engineers, who served on theBoard of Commissioners of the District of Columbiaas its Engineer Commissioner during 1879.[4]

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.[5]A 1917 map of Washington that the U.S. Public Buildings Commission prepared shows the Basin with the name "Twining Lake".[6]

  • 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.
    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.
  • 1897 map of Washington, D.C., showing the "Tidal Reservoir", the Potomac River and the Washington Channel
    1897 map of Washington, D.C., showing the "Tidal Reservoir", the Potomac River and the Washington Channel
  • Tidal Basin between 1909 and 1932 with cherry trees in blossom
    Tidal Basin between 1909 and 1932 with cherry trees in blossom

Tidal Basin Bathing Beach[edit]

In August 1918, the Congressionally-funded Tidal Basin Bathing Beach opened in front of the site of the present-day Jefferson Memorial. Although theracially-segregatedbeach was "a place to see people and be seen", a strictly-enforced rule prohibited women'sbathing suitsthat stopped more than six inches above the knee.[7]

By one estimate, the beach attracted up to 20,000 people on a July day in 1920. The beach hostedbeauty contestsuntil 1922, when a beach official banned the pageants for being too risqué.[7]

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.[7]

  • Tidal Basin beauty contest (1919)
    Tidal Basin beauty contest (1919)
  • Female swimmers posing at the Tidal Basin Bathing Beach (1920)
    Female swimmers posing at the Tidal Basin Bathing Beach (1920)
  • Orphan girls playing in the Tidal Basin in 1924. A float and a diving platform are in the background.
    Orphangirls playing in the Tidal Basin in 1924. A float and a diving platform are in the background.
  • Swimmers and an announcer participating in an event at the Tidal Basin Bathing Beach, with the Washington Monument in the background. (August 1924)
    Swimmers and an announcer participating in an event at the Tidal Basin Bathing Beach, with the Washington Monument in the background. (August 1924)

Incidents[edit]

The Tidal Basin was the scene of an incident involving the Chairman of theUnited States House Committee on Ways and Means,Democratic CongressmanWilbur 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 asFanne 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.[8]

Design[edit]

The Tidal Basin covers an area of about 107 acres (43 ha) and is 10 feet (3.0 m) deep. The Army Corps of Engineers designed the Basin to enable it to release 250 million US gallons (950,000 m3) of water captured athigh tidetwice 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 andsedimentinto the channel.[9]

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-upsilt[9]

The Corps, which maintains the Basin's gates, has restored their functioning.[9]As part of the restoration and redesign of theLincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool,completed in 2012, water is pumped from the Basin to fill the pool.[9][10]

Recreation[edit]

From mid-March until October,paddle-boatsare available for rent at a dock near the eastern end of the Tidal Basin.[11]The activity is popular during the Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place in April.

Future plans[edit]

Flooded bench at the Tidal Basin (January 2024)

Sea level riseandland subsidencehas 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.[12] After completing anenvironmental assessmentthat found that a planned project would have no significant impact "on the natural, cultural or human environment" in the area, theNational Park Service(NPS) then announced in 2023 that would renovate approximately linear 6,800 feet (2,073 m) ofseawallalong the Basin and parts ofWest Potomac Park.[13]

The Basin's seawall will become 4.75 feet (1.45 m) 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 8 feet (2.44 m) to a planned 12 feet (3.7 m) by enlarging the area's paved surface and reducing itsgreen space.[13]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.[14]

Kutz Memorial Bridge[edit]

Kutz Memorial Bridge (May 2014)

TheKutz Memorial Bridgecrosses the northern lobe of the Tidal Basin, carrying eastboundIndependence Avenuetraffic in three lanes.[15]The bridge's name commemorates Brigadier GeneralCharles Willauer Kutz,a Commissioner of Engineering for the District of Columbia during the first half of the 20th century.[16]

ArchitectPaul Philippe Cretdesigned themulti-span plate girder bridge,which the engineering firm ofAlexander and Repassconstructed. Construction began in 1941 and reached completion in 1943. The bridge was dedicated after alterations in 1954. The structure is made ofconcreteandsteelon pilings withgranitefacing. It is 433 ft (132 m) long and 46 ft (14 m) wide.[16]

Panorama[edit]

The Tidal Basin as seen from theFranklin Delano Roosevelt Memorialin July 2009, showing TheWashington Monumenton the left and theJefferson Memorialon the right.

Images[edit]

  • The Tidal Basin at night.
    The Tidal Basin at night.
  • The Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial during the 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 31, 2010)
    The Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial during the 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 31, 2010)
  • Cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in the afternoon
  • Inlet gate (November 2011)
    Inlet gate
    (November 2011)
  • Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (April 20, 2008)
    Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
    (April 20, 2008)
  • The Tidal Basin with cherry blossoms (April 1999)
    The Tidal Basin with cherry blossoms (April 1999)
  • Tidal Basin cherry blossoms (April 9, 2013)
    Tidal Basin cherry blossoms (April 9, 2013)
  • Tidal Basin marina and paddle boat dock (April 2, 2019)
    Tidal Basin marina and paddle boat dock (April 2, 2019)

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Blair, Elizabeth (October 31, 2020)."Landscape Architects Unveil Plans To Save The National Mall's Tidal Basin".NPR News.Archivedfrom the original on June 30, 2021.RetrievedJune 30,2021.
  2. ^Chapel,p. 32.
  3. ^Chapel,p. 42.
  4. ^Chapel,pp. 26, 109.
  5. ^Chapel,pp. 26–27.
  6. ^Public Buildings Commission (1918)."Washington, the Mall and Vicinity: Buildings Occupied By Various Government Activities: 1917"(map).Washington, D.C.:United States Senate.LCCN88690910.RetrievedFebruary 17,2021– viaLibrary of Congress.(Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division)
  7. ^abcKnapp, Jackson (August 26, 2018)."Once Upon a Time, the Tidal Basin Was a Swimming Beach".Washingtonian.Archivedfrom the original on February 6, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 11,2024.
  8. ^Green, Stephen (1974-10-11)."Mills Admits Being Present During Tidal Basin Scuffle".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on October 12, 2008.RetrievedJune 30,2021.
  9. ^abcd"Tidal Basin, Washington, DC".National Mall and Memorial Parks.Department of the Interior:National Park Service.July 5, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on December 13, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 27,2021.
  10. ^Ruane, Michael E. (August 6, 2012)."Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool nearly ready after $34 million reconstruction".Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on July 10, 2017.RetrievedJune 30,2021.
  11. ^Multiple sources:
  12. ^Kennedy, Sarah (February 17, 2020)."Climate change is coming for the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C."Yale Climate Connections.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 11,2024.
  13. ^abMultiple sources:
  14. ^Multiple sources:
  15. ^Coordinates of Kutz Memorial Bridge:38°53′13″N77°02′22″W/ 38.886948°N 77.039395°W/38.886948; -77.039395(Kutz Memorial Bridge)
  16. ^abMultiple sources:

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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