National Park Service Finishes Tidal Basin Seawall Work Early

Contact: Mike Litterst, 202-306-4166

WASHINGTON - The National Park Service today announced the early completion of the Tidal Basin seawall reconstruction, a major step in protecting some of the nation's most recognizable memorials and landscapes.

Funded by the Great American Outdoors Act and supporting the executive order on Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful, the work strengthens the shoreline around the Jefferson Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the world-famous cherry blossom trees. It is the first of two phases, with the Potomac River seawall scheduled for completion in May 2026. Together, the projects are on track to finish eight months ahead of schedule and about $30 million under budget.

The project addressed decades of sinking ground, frequent tidal flooding and aging infrastructure along the south side of the Tidal Basin. In some places, the original seawall, built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, had settled more than five feet, causing daily flooding on walkways and repeated damage to trees and historic landscapes.

The new seawall has deeper foundations, a wider and more accessible walkway, and a resilient design that better prepares the area for future sea-level rise and stronger storms.Construction is complete, but major landscape restoration is still ahead. In spring 2026, the National Park Service will plant 426 trees, including 269 cherry trees, around the Tidal Basin and along the Potomac River work areas, replacing the 306 trees removed for construction.

To protect these young trees and allow the landscape to stabilize, the project area in the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park will remain closed through the 2026 National Cherry Blossom Festival, with reopening expected shortly afterward.

NPS