and approximately 2,400 feet long opposite the navy yard; for a channel of the same depth and 200 feet wide in the Anacostia River from the Anacostia Bridge to the foot of Fifteenth Street SE., ending in a turning basin of the same depth and 400 feet square; all at an estimated cost of $325,000 for new work and $83,000 annually for maintenance of the entire project as modified.

For the Board:

G. B. PILLSBURY,

Brigadier General, Corps of Engineers, Senior Member.

REPORT OF THE DIVISION ENGINEER

SYLLABUS

The division engineer recommends that the projects for Potomac River at Washington and for Anacostia River be extended in scope so as to provide for channels 24 feet deep at mean low water and 400 feet wide in the Potomac River from the Giesboro Point to the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in the Washington Channel to its head, and in Anacostia River to Anacostia Bridge; a channel of the same depth and 200 feet wide in the Anacostia River from Anacostia Bridge to the foot of Fifteenth Street Southeast; a turning basin in Anacostia River of the same depth formed by widening the channel to 800 feet for a length of about 2,500 feet opposite the navy yard; and for a turning basin of the same depth formed by widening the 200-foot channel in Anacostia River to 400 feet for a length of 400 feet opposite the foot of Fifteenth Street Southeast; all at an estimated cost of $325,000 for additional new work and $83,000 annually for maintenance of the entire project as modified.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE DIVISION ENGINEER,

SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION, Norfolk, Va., January 28, 1935. Subject: Review of report on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, Washington, D. C.

To: The Chief of Engineers, United States Army, Washington, D. C.

1. Authority-This report is submitted in compliance with the following resolution adopted June 27, 1934:

Resolved by the Committee on Rivers and Harbors of the House of Repre sentatives, United States, That the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors created under section 3 of the River and Harbor Act, approved June 13, 1902, be, and is hereby, requested to review the reports on the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, submitted in the Senate Executive Document Numbered 126, Forty-seventh Congress, first session, and House Document Numbered 87. Fiftyfifth Congress, third session, with a view to determining if further improvement is advisable at the present time.

2. The reports in Senate Executive Document No. 126, Fortyseventh Congress, first session, are reports on a survey made in compliance with an item in the River and Harbor Act of March 3, 1881, which called for a preliminary examination or survey, or both, of "Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, in the vicinity of Washington, D. C., with reference to the improvement of navigation, the establishment of the harbor-line, and the raising of the flats, so far as their improvement may be necessary to the improvement of navigation and the establishment of the harbor-line ", and in compliance with a resolution of the Senate of December 13, 1881.

3. The reports in House Document No. 87, Fifty-fifth Congress, third session, were submitted in compliance with the following joint Hyresolution of Congress approved April 11, 1898:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, directed to prepare and submit to Congress forthwith a project for the improvement of the Anacostia River and the reclamation of its flats from the line of the District of Columbia to the mouth of said river, with an estimate of the cost of the same, and a report on the area and ownership of the land to be reclaimed, and if any portion of said land is vested in private persons an estimate of the cost of acquiring the same; and the sum of two thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to pay the cost of surveys and other expenses in the premises.

4. The reports in Senate Executive Document No. 126, Fortyseventh Congress, first session, form the basis of the existing project for the improvement of the Potomac River at Washington and of the Washington Channel. The reports in House Document No. 87, Fifty-fifth Congress, third session, form the basis for the existing project for improvement of the Anacostia River for navigation. 5. Description.-The Potomac River has its source in the Appalachian Mountains, 96 miles above the junction of the North and South branches, and flows in a southeasterly direction to the Chesapeake Bay, 287 miles below the junction. The lower 117 miles are tidal. The drainage area of the Potomac is 14,500 square miles and the discharge at Washington varies from 1,000 to 400,000 secondfeet. The mean range of tide is 1.2 feet at the mouth and 3 feet at Washington. The Anacostia River enters the Potomac at Washington, D. C. The Anacostia is about 22 miles long, with a drainage area of 170 square miles and a maximum discharge of about 15,000 second-feet. The two rivers are shown on the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey charts nos. 557 to 560, inclusive, and on the maps and photographs accompanying the enclosed report of the district engineer.

6. Washington Harbor, which embraces the waterways under consideration, includes the reach of the Potomac River known as "Virginia Channel ", which extends from Giesboro Point to the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Washington Channel, and the Anacostia River, all of which join at Giesboro Point. The Potomac River from Giesboro Point to the Francis Scott Key Bridge at Georgetown (5.2 miles) is from 700 to 5,500 feet wide, with a controlling depth in the channel of 17.8 feet. From the Key Bridge to head of tidewater at the District of Columbia line (3.2 miles) the river is from 150 to 1,300 feet wide and has a controlling depth of 15 feet. The Washington Channel is an artificial dead-end waterway 2.2 miles long and averaging about 900 feet in width, with controlling channel depths of 20.3 feet at the entrance and about 24 feet inside. The lower 3.1-mile reach of Anacostia River borders the industrial waterfront of Washington. From the mouth to Anacostia Bridge (1.8 miles) the Anacostia River is from 800 to 1,200 feet wide and has controlling channel depths of 20.3 feet over a shoal at the entrance and 24 feet or more inside, except at one small shoal. From the Anacostia Bridge to the Pennsylvania Railroad freight bridge (1.3 miles) the average width of the river is 750 feet and the depths

1 Not printed.

117823-35--2

in the channel vary from 14 to 25 feet. Controlling depths are 9 feet from the freight bridge to Benning Bridge (1.3 miles), thence 6 feet to the District of Columbia boundary line (2 miles), and 1 foot thence to the head of tidewater, 2.5 miles, the latter reach being tortuous. Anacostia Bridge has a draw span 100 feet wide. The three bridges over Potomac River between Giesboro Point and the Key Bridge have draw spans 80 feet or more in width.

7. Existing projects. The existing project for the Potomac River at Washington, D. C., provides for dredging a channel from Giesboro Point to Francis Scott Key Bridge 20 feet deep and of sufficient width to afford a low-water sectional area of 25,000 square feet; for construction of a training dike in this channel; for dredging the Washington Channel 20 feet deep; for the construction of a tidal reservoir to periodically flush the Washington Channel, and for the reclamation of flats. The existing river and harbor project for the Anacostia River provides for a channel from the mouth to Anacostia Bridge 20 feet deep and 400 feet wide with a depth of 6 feet at the bulkhead lines; for leveeing and reclaiming of flats to a height of 7 feet above mean low water; and for masonry sea walls.

8. The existing project for the Potomac River was completed for a channel width of about 500 feet in 1913. The required cross sectional area of 25,000 square feet has not been obtained above Arlington Memorial Bridge. The areas now forming Potomac Park and Columbia Island were reclaimed and protected by sea walls. The channels of the Anacostia River project have been completed. Due to the occupancy of the partially reclaimed flats by the Bolling Flying Field and the Anacostia Naval Air Station, the reclamation work has not been completed and no work has been done on the levee. An expenditure of $75,000 was also made from Anacostia Park funds in dredging and reclamation below Anacostia Bridge.

9. The total costs of the existing projects to June 30, 1934, were for the Potomac River at Washington, $3,628,937.34, of which $1,919,425.38 was for new work, and for the Anacostia River, $878,629.53, of which $749,563.25 was for new work. In addition, there were expended under previous projects $339,475.21 for the Potomac River at Washington, and $20,536.94 for the Anacostia River, all charged as new work. The approved estimates of cost of annual maintenance of existing projects are $62,500 for the Potomac River and Washington Channel projects and $6,000 for the Anacostia River project.

10. A park reclamation project for the Anacostia River provides for channel depths of 15 feet from the Anacostia Bridge to Massachusetts Avenue (upstream of the Pennsylvania Railroad freight bridge), thence 9 feet to Benning Road, and thence 6 feet to the District of Columbia line. This project, prepared in accordance with the District of Columbia Act of March 2, 1911 (Public, No. 441, 61st Cong., 3d sess.) and modified in 1916 and 1923, has not yet been completed. Project depths have been obtained practically everywhere and a large amount of reclamation work has been done. The total cost of the work done has been $3,426,431.53.

11. Local cooperation and other improvements.-There has been no local cooperation furnished or required as the United States owns in fee simple the entire bed of all of the navigable waters within the District of Columbia as well as owning the larger part of the several

water fronts. The navigation channels of the Anacostia River upstream of the Anacostia Bridge for a distance of 4.6 miles were dredged with park funds appropriated by the District of Columbia appropriation bills, which, through the fiscal year ended June 30, 1920, provided for half of the expense to be borne by the District of Columbia. From that date to June 30, 1924, the expense was borne 60 percent by the District of Columbia and 40 percent by the United States. Beginning July 1, 1924, the District of Columbia paid all required above the lump-sum appropriated from United States revenues. The United States Navy Department has maintained the depth in the river between the quays and the pierheads along the front of the navy yard since the existing project was adopted. The District of Columbia built four municipal wharves on the Washington Channel at a cost of about $208,000.

12. Tributary area. The area tributary to the harbor of Washington is about 8,000 square miles with a population of about 900,000 including that of the city. The population of the outlying sections is largely devoted to agriculture. The territory is served by four railroad systems and a well-developed system of highways. The metropolitan area, which consists of Washington and suburbs located in adjacent sections of Virginia and Maryland has a population of about 600,000. Washington is mainly a residential city with limited industrial development, except for the United States Navy Yard. The 21 operating banks have resources of about $300,000,000.

13. Terminal facilitics.-There are 10 wharves on the Georgetown water fronts from Key Bridge to G Street. One of these is owned by the District of Columbia Bridge Department, and the others by prívate interests. Eighty percent of the available space is being used. There are spur railroad tracks to several of the wharves and adequate freight handling equipment is available for the business handled.

14. The entire Washington channel water front is owned by the United States. The entire right bank is included in Potomac Park and the lower section of the left bank is occupied by the Army War College. The remaining frontage of 5,643 feet between P Street and the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge is either leased to commercial interests or occupied by United States and District of Columbia agencies. There are 30 wharves in this reach, 4 of which were built by the District of Columbia and may be considered modern. others of substantial timber construction are used by the Norfolk & Washington Steamboat Co. and the United States Lighthouse Service. The other wharves are in poor condition and are not suited to the needs of commerce. None of the wharves on Washington Channel have freight handling equipment and there are no facilities for water-rail transfer.

Two

15. The United States Navy Yard and the reservations of the United States Engineer Department and of the District of Columbia are located on the Anacostia River below the Pennsylvania Railroad bridge. There are also 11 private wharves in this section of the river. Three of these wharves are used for yachting, 3 for boat building, repair, or storage, 2 for oil and gas, 1 for building materials, 1 for sand and gravel, and 1 in connection with the Washington Gas Light Co. Freight handling equipment is available only at the sand and gravel wharf and at the wharves owned by the United

States and the District of Columbia. The Pennsylvania Railroad crosses the Anacostia at two points. The only available rail connections consist of spurs to the navy yard and to the Potomac Electric Power Co.'s plant. Space is available for a considerable expansion of terminal facilities on Anacostia River.

16. None of the private wharves in Washington Harbor are open to the public, except by special arrangement.

17. Commerce-vessel traffic.-The commerce in 1933 on the Potomac River section of the harbor amounted to 1,073,985 tons valued at $1,665,245. The 1933 commerce on the Washington Channel amounted to 66,827 tons valued at $15,369,530. The commerce for the same year on the Anacostia River amounted to 686,374 tons valued at $37,243,264. The Potomac River commerce consisted principally of sand and gravel, cement, and paving and building materials. The commerce on Washington Channel consists of generalpackage freight, machinery, building supplies, sea-food and agricultural products, steamer and excursion boats, and miscellaneous services. The commerce on Anacostia River consists of oil and petroleum products, naval stores and ordnance, building material, and miscellaneous freight.

18. From 1931 to 1933 there was a decrease in commerce on Washington Channel and the Potomac River section of Washington Harbor from 1,683.522 tons to 1,140,812 tons. During the same period there was a slight increase in the commerce on the Anacostia River and the total tonnage for 1933 was slightly greater than any previously recorded. The greater part of the vessels at present used in this commerce draw 18 feet or less. Only two vessels have drafts of over 20 feet. The largest draft boats are represented by Chesapeake Bay steamers, motor vessels, and oil barges. A total of 612 yachts and pleasure craft make Washington their home port. The draft of vessels is limited by a shoal in Anacostia River, by shoals at the mouths of Anacostia River and Washington Channel and by a number of small rock outcroppings in the Virginia Channel of Potomac River.

19. Improvement desired. The improvement desired is dredging to provide channels 24 feet deep and 400 feet wide in the Potomac River from Giesboro Point to the Francis Scott Key Bridge, channels of the same dimensions in the Washington Channel to its head and up the Anacostia River to the Anacostia Bridge, and a channel 24 feet deep and of lesser width, from the Anacostia Bridge to the foot of Fifteenth Street SE. Interested parties state that with the increased depths, medium-sized ocean-going tankers could be used in delivery of petroleum products to the city in place of barges, with resulting saving in transportation costs; that the increased facilities would result in the construction of additional terminals by oil companies; that definite savings of $53,600 on delivery of oil will accrue to the Washington Gas Co., and be transmitted to the public, and that savings of about $2 per 1,000 feet board measure of lumber will be secured by local dealers in bringing in lumber from the west coast. The Washington Board of Trade thinks that the improvement of Washington Channel will result in the city being made a port of call by certain tourist steamships. The Secretary of the Navy recommends a channel 24 feet deep and 400 feet wide in the