Tidal Basin

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Tidal Basin (Washington, D.C.)
Tidal Basin (Washington, D.C.)
	Tidal Basin on April 13, 2013, showing the Washington Monument undergoing renovation and paddle boat docks.
	Tidal Basin (Washington, D.C.)
Location	Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°53′03″N 77°02′21″W / 38.88417°N 77.03917°WCoordinates: 38°53′03″N 77°02′21″W / 38.88417°N 77.03917°W
Type	Artificial
Primary inflows	Potomac River; 38°52′49″N 77°02′25″W / 38.88028°N 77.04028°W
Primary outflows	Washington Channel; 38°52′58″N 77°01′59″W / 38.88278°N 77.03306°W
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	107 acres (0.43 km2)
Average depth	10 feet (3.0 m)
Surface elevation	3 feet (0.91 m)
References	"Tidal Basin". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.

The Tidal Basin is a man-made reservoir located between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel in Washington, D.C. It is part of West Potomac Park, is near the National Mall and is a focal point of the National Cherry Blossom Festival held each spring. The Jefferson Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the George Mason Memorial are situated adjacent to the Tidal Basin. The basin covers an area of about 107 acres (43 ha) and is 10 feet (3.0 m) deep.

History

Tidal Basin between 1909 and 1932

The concept of the Tidal Basin originated in the 1880s to serve both as a visual centerpiece and as a means for flushing the Washington Channel, a harbor separated from the Potomac River by fill lands where East Potomac Park is situated.^[1] Colonel Peter Conover Hains of the United States Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the Basin's design and construction.^[2]

The Basin was initially named Twining Lake, in honor of Major William Johnson Twining of the Corps of Engineers, who was serving on the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia as the Engineer Commissioner during 1879. In the Commissioner's annual report to Congress for that year, Major Twining proposed to create a tidal reservoir and use that water to help "flush" the Washington Channel.^[3] A 1917 map of Washington that the U.S. Public Buildings Commission prepared shows the basin with the name "Twining Lake".^[4] The engineering firm of Alexander and Repass completed the bridge over the Tidal Basin and the Basin's seawall during the 1940s.^[5]

In August 1918 the whites-only Congressionally-funded Tidal Basin Bathing Beach was opened in front of the site of the present-day Jefferson Memorial. The beach was popular, and by one estimate attracted up to 20,000 people on a July day in 1920. Congress had planned to open a separate beach for African-Americans nearby, but the plan was blocked by southern senators. Rather than integrate the beach, Congress ordered the dismantling of the beach in 1925.^[6]

Redesign of the Tidal Basin is under consideration in 2020, as sea level rise and land subsidence causes portions of the paths next to the water to flood twice daily at high tide.^[7]

Design

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 Washington Channel

The basin is designed to release 250 million US gallons (950,000 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. 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. Silt build up is swept away by the extra force of water running from the Tidal Basin through the channel. The U.S. Corps of Engineers, which maintains the Basin's gates, has restored their functioning.^{[citation needed]}

The northern lobe of the basin is crossed by the 433 foot (132.0 m) Kutz Memorial Bridge, named in honor of Brigadier General Charles W. Kutz the Commissioner of Engineering for the District of Columbia during the first half of the 20th century, carrying eastbound Independence Avenue traffic in three lanes. The bridge was designed by Paul Cret, begun in 1941, completed 1943 and altered with dedication in 1954. It is of concrete and steel on pilings, all granite faced.^[8]

As part of the restoration and redesign of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, completed in 2012, water is pumped from the Tidal Basin to fill the pool.^[9]

Recreation

From mid-March until October, paddle-boats are available for rent.^[10] The activity is very popular during the Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place in April.

Incidents

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.^[11]