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Improvements in the works for Tidal Basin
The Tidal Basin's gates are more than 100 years old. They keep water flowing into the Basin from the Potomac River and out to the Washington Channel, but they’re in rough shape.
WASHINGTON - The cherry blossoms have come and gone from the Tidal Basin and some heavy-duty equipment is on its way to the area.
It’s part of a project to keep water flowing in and out of the Basin, and according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it will potentially prevent the Tidal Basin from becoming a stagnant pond.
"It definitely would have a negative impact on the basin as we know it today," said Kevin Brennan, the chief of navigation for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District.
Brennan explained the tidal gates are more than 100 years old. They keep water flowing into the Basin from the Potomac River and out to the Washington Channel, but they’re in rough shape – both above and below the water – and they have been for quite some time.
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WASHINGTON, USA - MARCH 26: Cherry trees are in full bloom as visitors enjoy the view at Tidal Basin on March 26, 2022 in Washington, DC, United States. (Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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"At this point, we don’t know what we don’t know in terms of what needs to be done," he said.
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It’s why – as previously reported by WTOP – the Corps recently received $400,000 from the federal government to bring in some major equipment, including a crane, and take a closer look at the problem.
"Some of the gates do open and close with the tide, some of them have fallen off their hinges," Brennan explained.
The work is expected to start in the coming months and could take up to a year. Once engineers figure out what needs to be done to repair the gates and how much the work will cost, they’ll go back to Congress to ask for the funding.