140 of DC’s Beloved Cherry Trees to Be Axed in Tidal Basin Renovation
WASHINGTON — Catch them while you can. One hundred and forty of the District of Columbia’s beloved cherry trees — long a magnet for tourists and even local sightseers — will be cut down in May as part of a much needed project to address flooding issues.
In making the announcement, National Park Service officials said Wednesday they made every effort to minimize the number of trees that must be removed during the restoration of sinking sea walls along the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park.
In addition to the cherry trees, about 160 other trees near the basin and along the Potomac River will also be removed during the three-year, $113 million project.
While the view may be shocking for a while — the seawall restoration won’t be completed until 2027 — a release from the Park Service stressed that investment in the park will protect some of the nation’s most iconic memorials from the threat of failing infrastructure and rising sea levels for the next 100 years.
What’s more, before it’s done, 455 trees, including 274 cherry trees, will be replanted in the area, officials said.
They also took pains to assure visitors that there will be no construction activity in the area until after the current National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Initial construction activity will begin in late May and will focus on establishing a construction staging area in West Potomac Park and site preparation around the Tidal Basin.
Once the staging is complete, construction will occur in two phases, first around the Tidal Basin, followed by the Potomac River work in West Potomac Park.
The trail around the Tidal Basin will remain open through the duration of the work, although temporary pedestrian detours will be constructed in some areas.
The cherry trees slated for removal extend from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.
The work is needed for a variety of factors. One of them is the simple age of the infrastructure along the river and Tidal Basin. Another is the historically poor drainage in the area, which is now being compounded by the rising sea levels associated with climate change.
Portions of the seawalls have settled as much as five feet since their initial construction from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, the Park Service said.
Despite various repairs over the decades, the seawalls are no longer structurally sound and threaten visitor safety and the historic setting, including the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin.
The repair of the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park seawalls is part of nearly $500 million in planned infrastructure improvements at the National Mall prior to the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.
The repairs will include:
- Removing and reconstructing the existing stone masonry seawalls to include a pile-supported platform foundation that will prevent the seawalls from settling, and support height extensions of the walls if needed due to future rising sea levels or increasing storm surge.
- Salvaging and reusing stones from the historic wall in the rehabilitated seawalls, when possible.
- Repairing, or replacing, and widening walkways around the Tidal Basin to provide smoother, more accessible connections to other pathways.
- Regrading landscaping adjacent to the seawalls as necessary to provide proper drainage.
Signed by former President Donald Trump in August 2020, the Great American Outdoors Act is part of a concerted effort to address the extensive maintenance backlog in the nation’s national parks.
The act provides the National Park Service with up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks that will ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
