One step closer to Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park repairs

Planning is officially underway for the first phase of a big project to repair the seawalls and shoreline landscape along the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park.

For about 30 years the National Park Service has been battling flooding along the Tidal Basin. And it’s gotten so bad in recent years, that twice a day every day, water engulfs the original walkaway and floods this iconic, historic area.

It’s a 1-2 punch for the Tidal Basin. Since the seawalls were originally constructed in the 1930s and 40s, they’ve sunk an estimated 3-4 feet. At the same time the seawalls are settling down and the sea level is rising up. Around a foot to date.

“That's a net loss of four feet, on the infrastructure, the walkways, the sea walls around the title basin," explains Mike Litterst, Chief of Communications for the National Mall and Memorial Parks. “Most days when it goes over you can at least see where the sidewalk is. It’s 10 feet or more out.”

But now, thanks to a 5.7 million dollar contract funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, planning is finally underway to plans repair the historic Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park.

The reconstructed seawalls will also free up time typically spent by the National Parks Service cleaning up debris that litters the walkway in the wake of flooding, monitoring and fencing areas under water and replacing iconic cherry blossoms that are damaged by the brackish high tide waters.

“Repair the sea walls has been a top priority for the National Park Service for years," says Litterst. "But it's an extremely expensive process, as you can imagine.

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