Evening star., 1946-04-05
Survey Of Entire
dc. WaterFro
Starts in May
Army Study, First
Of Kind, to Control
All Future Plans
BY Rudolph Kouffmonn II

BY Rudolph Kouffmonn II
A program of hearings and studies
on the water front of Metropolitan
Washington, unusual and as far
reaching in its field as the SAL
000,000 50-year plan for improving
Washington's water supply, will be
started the middle of May by the
Army district engineer for the
Potomac, Patuxent and Rappahan-
mock water sheds, 1t was disclosed
today.
The program will start as a pre-
liminary investigation, with hopes
that it may become full-fledged
rivers and harbors project. 1t will
call for development of long range
co-ordinated plan as a basis for all
present and future plans for Wash
ington's water front development.
Held up during the war, the pro-
gram is direct result of pressure
from the Washington Board of
Trade, the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, the Ma
tional Park Service and other civic
groups and Government agencies
and was called for in a resolution
Of the House Rivers and Harbors
Committe made during the war.
The plan is unusual since Army
engineers never have attempted to
plan for the entire water front of
a city. They have dredged certain
channels, specified the height of
bridges and prescribed for design
of drawbridges. This is the first at
tempt to solve, by a meeting of
minds and coordination of plans
and appropriations, the front
problems of an entire city and its
epvirons.
Outlines Of Program.
E. A. Schmitt, head engineer of
the Washington Office, and engineers
on the staff Of Col. Donald G. White,
district engineer, today went over
the ground to be covered with a
Star reporter. In general, here is
how the program is expected to
shape up:
First, the engineers have decided
to define metropolitan Washington
water front" as those sections of the
Potomac and Anacostia Rivers
stretching from Chain Bridge to
Mount Vernon and from Bladens-
burg to the mouth OF the Anacostia.
Some of the individual improve
ments proposed for this area already
are underway-for example, the rec
lamation of the Anacostia Flats and
the development of the Washington
Channel water front. Others will not
be undertaken for years. Still others,
perhaps, will not be started for
decades.
Seek Answers to Questions.
Questions Of . general nature to
which the engineers expect to get
answers are:
l. Since about 80 per cent of the
waterfront of the District is already
in Government ownership, should
not the remainder be so owned and
developed for uses ranging from
sewage disposal and commercial
shipping to park, swimming and be
boating facilities?
2. Would greater channel depths
be justified in the oPtomac and
lower Anacostia? Present depth is
"a feet, while channel width in the
immediate vicinity of the city is
400 feet.
3. Should there be a WASHINGTON
port authority, to manage facilities
created by any plan which grows
out of the hearings?
Future Dumping Grounds.
4. Where can Washington and its
neighboring communities find fu-
ture dumping grounds for city
refuse?
5. How best could the engineers
aid in abating pollution?
6. What future plans could be in
cluded for the eradication of the
troublesome water chestnut.
7. Are present harbor regulations
sufficient to the needs of the city?
8. Where could limiting lines and
harbor lines be changed to advan-
tage.
9. Whose responsibility is it to re-
move derelicts?
10. How should work by the engi-
neers be dovetailed with plans for
additional Potomac and Anacostia
Rivers rail and road crossings,
either bridges or tunnels?
To Aid Pleasure Boating.
Specific proposals which are to be
considered are numerous. Many
already are receiving the attention
Of the public and Government agen-
cies. Others are less we'll known
Among those the program will seek
to plan for are:
l. Clearing the river channel be-
tween Chain and Key Bridges and
additional pleasure boating facih-
ties In that stretch of river.
2. Streamlining the Georgetown
and Rosslyn water fronts and cas-
ing the flood bottleneck in the
river at the mouth of Rock Creek
3.A possible private seaplane land
ing on the mole at the mouth OF
Rock Creek.
Dredging Of Mudflats.
T. Dredging of the East Potomac
Park mudf1ats.
5. Increased use of the Tidal Basin
and lagoons near the Pentagon fol-
pleasure boating.
6. Raising the level of East Po-
tomac Park, now easily flooded.
7. More boating and commercial
facilities in Washington Channel
than already planned.
8. Improvement of the Alexandria
water front and streamlining the
|shoreline for flood-control purposes
on both banks of the river in the
Alexandria area.
Expansion Of Facilities.
8. Additional boating facilities
H.