Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-29
Anacostia and Virginia Flats.

In The Star of recent date It was an
nounced that the work of dredging the
Georgetown channel between the railroad
and highway bridges and Georgetown
harbor had been completed. The re-
! quired depth OF water has been obtained
Instructions to shipping removed and the
excavated material used in raising the
elevation of Potomac Park. This ends
one step in the Potomac fats improve
7 ment.
The completion OF the work OF dredging
this channel makes all the more apparent
the work which remains to be done. From
the south side Of the Georgetown channel
. to the Virginia shore the Potomac river
Is . mud hole. Thousands OF strangers
travelling by rail between Washington and
Arlington and Washington and Mount
Vernon cross this place. 1t Is an eye
sore. and 1t IS hoped that provision may be
made for the reclamation OF these flats.
While this noxious part of the river
should be reclaimed, sight should not be
lost of the Anacostia fats. The work OF
reclamation there is urgent. Not many
years ago this river from a point above
Anscostia to its junction with the Po-
tomac between the arsenal and Giesboro
was a beautiful stream. There was a
fair depth Of water at all times from a
point considerably east OF Anacostia to
the Potomac. It was slowly shoaling.
though. As the soil was washed down from
the watershed. The shoaling process. how
ever. took on great speed when the gov
eminent. having in view the possible ulti-
mate uplifting Of this river. dumped along
the Washington side Of the shadows
spoil dredged from the navy yard chan
mel. The mud bank thus created acted
az a retaining wall and caused the fats
to all 50 rapidly that soon the river bed
was exposed at low tide. Eel grass and
Wild rice grew rankly. Sewage that could
not be carried away spread over the mats.
Later a more effective retaining wall was
built along the channel, which follows
the Washington shore, and from this
channel to Poplar Point a trench was
dredged and the spoil thrown on
the fats. converting q large part Of the
Anacostia river into q shallow lake.
Maj. Spencer Cosby. Corps Of Engineers,
in his last report called attention to the
insanitary condition Of the Anacostia nats
and also said: although merely inciden-
tai to the work Of channel Improvement,
as afordins the most convenient and
economical means OF disposing Of the ex-
coVate0 material, THIS reclamation OF the
flats OF the Anacostia below the Navy
Yard bridge will also render available
for park or other purposes 400 acres OF
desirable land"
The present condition of the Anacostia
river endangers the health Of people both
on the Anacostia and the Washington
sides Of that stream. 1t holds in check
real estate values that would otherwise
advance more rapidly. Congress owes 1t
to the people Of the eastern part Of the
city ana the thickly inhabited district be-
yond the Anacosta to remedy this ugly
situation.
mighty work has been accomplished
since the Potomac flats reclamation prof.
ect was adopted by the government in
1850. Potomac Park, containing 6c1 acres
Of land and 11e acres Of Enclosed water
area. and which in the language OF Maj.
Cosby lis capable Of being transformed
into one of the finest parks in the coun-
try Is one result Of this work Definite
harbor lines and deeper channels are also
among the results achieved. But this
work cannot be finished until the Ana
costa and the Virginia fats shall have
been reclaimed.