Washington Channel

Washington Channel

View of the Washington Channel from the Southwest Waterfront.
Country United States
Basin
Main source Tidal Basin
0 feet (0 m)
River mouth Anacostia River at Hains Point
0 feet (0 m)
River system Potomac River
Physical characteristics
Length 2 miles (3.2 km)

The Washington Channel is a channel that parallels the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It is located between the Southwest Waterfront on the east side and East Potomac Park on the west side. The channel is two miles long, receives outflow from the Tidal Basin at its north end, and empties into the Anacostia River at Hains Point at its south end. The channel's depth ranges from 8.8 feet (2.7 m) to 23 feet (7.0 m).[1][2]

The Washington Channel's east bank is lined with restaurants, inns, and marinas including Washington Marina, Gangplank Marina (the only liveaboard marina in the District of Columbia), and Capital Yacht Club. The Maine Avenue Fish Market is situated at the north end of the channel, south of the 14th Street Bridge complex. The Women's Titanic Memorial, Fort Lesley J. McNair, the National Defense University, and James Creek Marina are located near the south end of the channel. As of August 2010, the USS Sequoia—a former United States presidential yacht—is docked at a pier in the Washington Channel.[3]

Transfer of responsibility

Aerial view from the south of East Potomac Park and the Washington Channel, ca. 1935.

On June 16, 2010, District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill (H.R. 5545) in the House of Representatives that would, if signed into law, transfer responsibility for part of the Washington Channel from the Army Corps of Engineers to the District. The bill was passed by the House on July 20, 2010, and was received by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works the following day.[4][5] Norton's bill is part of a larger plan to redevelop the Southwest Waterfront, some goals of which are "to extend docks and increase maritime activity just a short eyeshot from the U.S. Capitol building."[6] The Coast Guard, the Navy, and the Army Corps of Engineers have agreed that this transfer "will not affect navigation interests or adversely affect navigation safety."[6] The area under consideration extends from the north end of the Channel to just south of the police pier, totaling 17.84399 acres (7.22121 ha) of water surface.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Washington Channel". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  2. ↑ United States Coast Pilot. 3 (43rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Ocean Service. 2010. p. 318. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  3. ↑ "U.S.S. Sequoia - Directions". Sequoia Presidential Yacht Group. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  4. ↑ Bill summary and status at THOMAS: H.R. 5545.
  5. ↑ Neibauer, Michael (July 20, 2010). "Norton's SW Waterfront Bill Passes". WBJBizBeat. Washington Business Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 2010 Congressional Record, Vol. 156, Page H5743 (July 20, 2010).
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Coordinates: 38°52′16.9″N 77°1′14.9″W / 38.871361°N 77.020806°W / 38.871361; -77.020806

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