The National Park Service approved a plan to raise the Tidal Basin seawall by about five feet last week.
NPS will raise 6,800 feet of the walkway surrounding parts of the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park to accommodate for rising sea levels and “poor” drainage during the summer of 2024, according to a release last week. The fortified seawall will reuse stones from the existing seawall and last about a century, according to NPS.
NPS approved the plan to raise the seawall after issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact, which signified that the rebuilding will not harm the surrounding environment.
NPS solicited public comments for their proposed plan to raise the seawall bordering the Tidal Basin by 4.75 feet and raise the seawall bordering West Potomac Park by 5.5 feet from March to April before approving the plan this month. The plan also includes a proposal to widen walkways from eight feet to 12 feet to increase accessibility and connections to other pathways.
The project will receive funds from the Great American Outdoors Act, which provided NPS with $6.5 billion over the span of five years for maintenance repairs in 2020.
