Evening star., 1902-08-20
RIVER IMPROVEMENT
Lieut.. Col. Aliens Interesting
Report.
PROGRESS OF WORK
PLAN ORIGINALLY ADOPTED
TWENTY YEARS AGO.
Deepening and WideninU the Tuo
Deepening and Widening the Two
Channels-The Reclaimed Flats
Work Still to Be Done.

The vast project which the War Depart
ment has under way for the Improvement
OF the Potomac river in the vicinity of
Washington has just been made the subject
of most interesting report by Lieutenant
Colonel Charles J. Allen of the engineer
corps.
The project, which was originally adopted
twenty years ago, and on which progress
has been made each month since that time,
has for its object the improvement of navi-
CATION, the establishment of harbor lines
and the raising Of the flats the city
front. The channel is to be not less than
twenty feet deep and to have an area of
cross-section sufficient to discharge the
flood waters in time of freshets without
causing a rise above the freshet slope of
1877
The method of Improvement is to dredge
the material from the river and deposit it
on the flats, thereby improving the naviga-
ton and raising the fats at the same time.
The flats are to be raised so that the part
above Long bridge will be three feet above
the freshet slope of 1877 and the part be-
low Long bridge will be raised to height
of three feet above the same level at the
middle line and slope each way to a level
of six feet above low tide at the margin of
the fill.
In order to purify the water of the Wash
ington channel, which will be cut off at the
Virginia channel tidal basin reservoir |
is established between the sewer canal and
Long bridge. This reservoir has an area
of 11S acres The plan for the reservoir
contemplated providing it with automatic
inlet and outlet gates, the former to be at
the entrance to the reservoir from the N1r-
ginia channel and the latter at the outlet
of the reservoir connecting with the Wash
ington channel, the reservoir to be filled
at flood tide from the Virginia channel and
discharged at ebb into the washington
channel Construction of training dlke
in the Virginia channel above lang bridge,
with a view of reducing f1uyial deposit at
that locality, is also covered by the pro-
ject.
The approved project contemplated the
removing or rebuilding of Long bridge
with wider spans during the progress of
the work.
The project as revised in 1897 is estimated
to cost s., ,953 020, exclusive of the recon-
struction of Long bridge.
Progress of the Work.
There is $s6,940 available for work at
this time. The amount expended IN the
project at the end of the last fiscal year
was two and a quarter million dollars
When the present project was adopted
the Georgetown channel was narrow and
crooked and had not sufficient depth to ac-
commodate commerce, and the Washington
channel was shoal and narrow. The flats |
in front of the city were alternately ex-
posed and covered by the tide. In execu- |
ton of the present project there has been
obtained, by dredging, channel from 80 |
to 400 feet wide and 20 feet deep through |
the bars in the Virginia channel between |
Georgetown and Giesboro' Point. AS this |
channel shoaled more or less on the bar |
above Long bridge, it was redredged sey-
eral times, and training dixie was punt
with a view to reducing deposits. The full |
widening of the Virginia channel below |
Long bridge is still incomplete. In the
Washington channel the navigation channel |
has been dredged to a width of 400 feet ana |
a depth of 30 feet between the Long bridge |
and the junction of the Washington and |
Virginia channels. srhe area between this |
navigation channel and the sea wall or |
Potomac Park has been dredged to depth |
of 10 feet. When dredging was discontinued |
at the close of September, 1901, the naVlga- |
ton channels had depth of 20 feet for the |
following widths: In the washington
channel 400 feet throughout its entire |
length; in the Virginia channel below Long |
bridge a varying width of from 37O to 800 |
feet throughout its entire length, ana IN |
the Virginia channel above Long brldge
400 feet for a distance of 4,S0o feet from |
the lower end of the bar, narrowing to 30 |
feet in the next ,200 feet and then 2I0 feet |
wide for 1000 feet further, or to the upper |
end of the bar
The reservoir outlet gates nave Deen
practically completed.
The Reclaimed Flats.
the reclaimed flats designated as Potomac |
Park by act of Congress of March g. 1890. |
The total amount thus deposited since the |
commencement of the work is about H. |
$50 427 cubic yards. In addition to the |
foregoing a large amount-probably 250,- |
900 cubic yards, at least, of clean, desirable |
earth, from excavations by private parties
in Washington, has been deposited during
the past ten or fifteen years on the flats
(park) under permits. from this Office, and
more is in progress of deposit. This earth |
Is deposited strictly in accordance with
regulations Of this office and at the expense
of the parties depositing it, and the per-
mits are matters of record. Some Of this
material Is good for park purposes.
The total of the reclaimed area amounts
to 739.42 acres, of which 621.12 acres are
land, the remainder Q1S3O acreS) conSti- |
tuting the tidal reservoirs.
The wall on the margin of the re-
claimed area has been practically COM
pleted except near the site of the inlet
gates and along the bathing beach in the
tidal reservoir. The total length of sea
wall built to date is 35,2S9 linear feet, Of
which 4910 linear feet on the Washington
channel front of Section III have been re-
laid.
Last inspection by engineer officer in
charge June %, 1902.
Work required to complete approved
project.-The dredging redredging of the
Virginia and Washington channels and of
the tidal reservoir; the raising of the re-
mainder of the reclaimed area to the re-
quired height: the completion of the sea
wall In the reservoir and raising a portion
of the wall along the Washington channel;
the construction of the reservoir inlet gates
and the completion of the training dixie on
the right of the Virginia channel above the
Long bridge.
Report Of Operations June, 1909.
About 400 linear feet of the old fence
near Easby's Point have been taken down
and partly rebuilt; few repairs were
made to the wharf at Easby's Point, in
Guiding putting in some steps, and some
brush was cut on the park. This work was
done by hired labor.
A considerable amount of desirable earth
was deposited upon the park by private
parties under permit, without cost to the
United States.
The usual amount of office work was
done.
Probable Operations July, 1902.
A project will be submitted for contir-
uing work under the new appropriation 4