| Washington Channel | |
|---|---|
 View of the Washington Channel from theSouthwest Waterfront | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Tidal Basin |
| • elevation | 0 feet (0 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Anacostia River atHains Point |
• elevation | 0 feet (0 m) |
| Length | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Potomac River |
TheWashington Channel is achannel parallel to thePotomac River inWashington, D.C. It is located between theSouthwest Waterfront on the east side andEast Potomac Park on the west side. The channel is two miles (3.2 km) long, receives outflow from theTidal Basin at its north end, and empties into theAnacostia River atHains Point at its south end. The channel's depth ranges from 8.8 feet (2.7 m) to 23 feet (7.0 m).[1][2]
The Washington Channel's east bank is lined with restaurants, inns, and marinas including Washington Marina, Gangplank Marina (the onlyliveaboard marina in the District of Columbia), and Capital Yacht Club. TheMaine Avenue Fish Market is situated at the north end of the channel, south of the14th Street Bridge complex. TheTitanic Memorial,Fort Lesley J. McNair, theNational Defense University, and James Creek Marina are located near the south end of the channel. As of August 2010,USSSequoia—a formerUnited States presidential yacht—is docked at a pier in the Washington Channel.[3]
On June 16, 2010, District of ColumbiaDelegateEleanor Holmes Norton introduced a bill (H.R. 5545) into theHouse of Representatives during the111th United States Congress that would have transferred responsibility for part of the Washington Channel from theArmy Corps of Engineers to the District.[4] The House passed the bill on July 20, 2010.[4] TheSenate Committee on Environment and Public Works received the bill on the following day.[4][5]
Norton's bill was part of a larger plan to redevelop theSouthwest Waterfront, some goals of which are "to extend docks and increase maritime activity just a short eyeshot from the U.S. Capitol building."[6] TheCoast Guard, theNavy, and the Army Corps of Engineers agreed that this transfer "will not affect navigation interests or adversely affect navigation safety."[6] The area under consideration extended from the north end of the Channel to just south of the police pier, totaling 17.84399 acres (7.22121 ha) of water Crossings[6] However, the Senate did not pass the legislation.[4]
Delegate Norton reintroduced the bill into the House of Representatives on February 15, 2011, during the112th United States Congress.[7] The 2011 bill (H.R. 723) was incorporated into H.R. 2297 (To promote the development of the Southwest waterfront in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes), which becamePublic Law 112-143 (126 Stat. 990 - 126 Stat. 992) afterPresident Barack Obama signed it on July 9, 2012.[8]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
38°52′16.9″N77°1′14.9″W / 38.871361°N 77.020806°W /38.871361; -77.020806
