National Trust for Historic Preservation: Return to home page

Thanks to the sustained, strategic advocacy of the National Trust and our allies to protect the historic Tidal Basin, the National Park Service—a close partner to the National Trust across the country—will launch a Master Planning process for the Tidal Basin in early 2024.

The overall project will include visioning, analysis, and design concepts to rehabilitate this treasured cultural landscape in the heart of Washington D.C. The National Park Service has indicated that the Master Plan will address circulation and transportation; connectivity; conservation; climate change and sea level rise resilience; infrastructure; memorials; security; visitor experience; and seawall solutions. Many of these overlapping themes are adapted from the National Trust and the Trust for the National Mall’s Tidal Basin Ideas Lab, launched in 2019.

The National Trust, with our partners at the Trust for the National Mall, will continue to engage stakeholders, Tidal Basin Ideas Lab design firms, and our membership throughout the Master Planning process. The results of the Ideas Lab, inclusion on the 11 Most Endangered List in 2019, coupled with sustained advocacy efforts by the National Trust and our partners, underscore the long-term value of collective collaboration in achieving solutions for endangered places.

Update March 2024: As the Tidal Basin welcomed visitors and tourists to view the Cherry Trees, the flooding was again dramatic. Travelers enjoyed the beautiful blooms and said a fond farewell to Stumpy, a tiny tree that symbolized, for many, survival in the face of sea level rise. Stumpy is one of over 100 Japanese flowering cherry trees along the Tidal Basin that will be removed in preparation for initial construction activity to implement the Master Plan. A cutting of Stumpy will be used to create genetic offspring when 274 new cherry trees are planted.

The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund is providing $112.76 million to the National Park Service to rehabilitate the failing seawalls around a portion of the Tidal Basin and along West Potomac Park. This funding is part of the recently enacted $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill for FY2023, which included $1.9 billion for deferred maintenance projects in national parks and on public lands.

The contract was awarded to Cianbro Construction of Pittsfield, Maine on August 29 and is the largest design build contract in NPS history. The seawall rehabilitation will cover 19% of the Tidal Basin’s historic seawalls and will serve as a model for the restoration of the entire perimeter of the Tidal Basin. 238 trees will be removed, and 312 new trees will be planted, including cherry trees and more resilient vegetation.

Thanks in part to the National Trust and the Trust for the National Mall’s Tidal Basin Ideas Lab, NPS will also launch a comprehensive plan process for the entire Tidal Basin in the coming months.

The Tidal Basin Ideas Lab was critical in raising awareness and demonstrating public support for the vast needs of the Tidal Basin and we thank you for your support and participation.

The National Park Service is receiving $124,292,000 to repair and rehabilitate portions of the seawalls and shoreline along the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park. This funding is part of the recently enacted $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill for FY2023, which included $1.9 billion for deferred maintenance projects in national parks and on public lands, thanks to the Great American Outdoors Act.

This critical funding will allow National Park Service to raise the seawalls of approximately 6,800 linear feet of the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park to their historic functional height, improve accessibility, and plan for future sea level rise. The walkway on top of the Tidal Basin’s seawall will be replaced and widened, and the landscaping adjacent to the seawalls will be rebuilt, including the removal and replacement of approximately 300 trees.

The National Park Service will release an Environmental Assessment later this year. The National Trust and the Trust for the National Mall will be closely involved, supporting NPS’s work on the seawall repairs, while advocating for a comprehensive masterplan that addresses the many overlapping challenges at the Tidal Basin.

The Tidal Basin Ideas Lab was critical in raising awareness and demonstrating public support for the vast needs of the Tidal Basin and we thank you for your support and participation.

The Great American Outdoors Act has awarded $5.7 million to the National Park Service for planning phase 1 of repairs to the seawalls and shoreline landscape of the National Mall Tidal Basin. This is a major step towards securing the future sustainability and preservation of the Tidal Basin, an iconic and endangered cultural landscape in the heart of Washington, D.C.

The Tidal Basin is a complex, iconic public landscape with some of our most renowned national monuments and includes places of remembrance and reflection that tell the history of our nation. Unfortunately, the instability of the land underneath the Tidal Basin, daily flooding, and crumbling infrastructure threaten its sustainability and visitor enjoyment.

The seawall repair project is due in part to the expansive reach and persuasive influence of the Tidal Basin Ideas Lab, a partnership between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Trust for the National Mall. The National Park Service is now seeking input from the public on the seawall rehabilitation as they work to address significant flooding negatively impacting the Tidal Basin and surrounding areas.

In 2019, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation launched its campaign to preserve the Tidal Basin, you raised your hand by signing a petition in support of ensuring a resilient future for this significant and beloved public space.

Today, we’re asking for your help once again.

You have a chance to give input through the National Park Service's website. Add your comment in support of the seawall repair while encouraging a Master Plan to rehabilitate and preserve the entire cultural landscape of the National Mall Tidal Basin.

Comment period closes Sep 12, 2022 at 11:59 PM Mountain Time.

The National Park Service is seeking input from the general public on the rehabilitation of seawalls at the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park in Washington D.C. as they work to address significant flooding negatively impacting the Tidal Basin and surrounding areas.

The National Mall Tidal Basin is a complex, iconic public landscape with some of our most renowned national monuments and includes places of remembrance and reflection that tell the history of our nation. Unfortunately, the instability of the land underneath the Tidal Basin, daily flooding, and crumbling infrastructure threaten its sustainability and visitor enjoyment.

The public comment period is a part of an established process conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The public can submit comments on the National Park Service website through September 12.