Washington Channel


The Washington Channel is a channel that parallels the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It is located between the Southwest Waterfront on the east side and East Potomac Park on the west side. The channel is long, receives outflow from the Tidal Basin at its north end, and empties into the Anacostia River at Hains Point at its south end. The channel's depth ranges from to.
The Washington Channel's east bank is lined with restaurants, inns, and marinas including Washington Marina, Gangplank Marina, and Capital Yacht Club. The Maine Avenue Fish Market is situated at the north end of the channel, south of the 14th Street Bridge complex. The Women's Titanic Memorial, Fort Lesley J. McNair, the National Defense University, and James Creek Marina are located near the south end of the channel. As of August 2010, USS Sequoia—a former :Category:Presidential yachts of the United States|United States presidential yacht—is docked at a pier in the Washington Channel.

Transfer of responsibility

On June 16, 2010, District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill into the House of Representatives during the 111th United States Congress that would have transferred responsibility for part of the Washington Channel from the Army Corps of Engineers to the District. The House passed the bill on July 20, 2010. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works received the bill on the following day.
Norton's bill was part of a larger plan to redevelop the Southwest Waterfront, some goals of which are "to extend docks and increase maritime activity just a short eyeshot from the U.S. Capitol building." The Coast Guard, the Navy, and the Army Corps of Engineers agreed that this transfer "will not affect navigation interests or adversely affect navigation safety." The area under consideration extended from the north end of the Channel to just south of the police pier, totaling of water Crossings However, the Senate did not pass the legislation.
Delegate Norton reintroduced the bill into the House of Representatives on February 15, 2011, during the 112th United States Congress. The 2011 bill was incorporated into H.R. 2297, which became Public Law 112-143 after President Barack Obama signed it on July 9, 2012.

Crossings