Levees on the National Mall

Title

Levees on the National Mall

Description

Levees for flood control were first constructed on the National Mall after the Great Potomac Flood of 1936. They were north of the Reflecting Pool, extending from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. This early levee system did not eliminate flood damage. In 1942, flood waters again breached the sea wall of the Tidal Basin and covered the land beyond the Jefferson Memorial. However, repairs to the Mall's levee system did not happen until 2006, when the basement of the National Archives flooded, threatening the survival of important national documents. New levees include a the construction of a removable barrier on 17th Street crossing the National Mall.

Creator

Source

Date

2006

Coverage

Description

Levees for flood control were first constructed on the National Mall after the Great Potomac Flood of 1936. They were north of the Reflecting Pool, extending from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. This early levee system did not eliminate flood damage. In 1942, flood waters again breached the sea wall of the Tidal Basin and covered the land beyond the Jefferson Memorial. However, repairs to the Mall's levee system did not happen until 2006, when the basement of the National Archives flooded, threatening the survival of important national documents. New levees include a the construction of a removable barrier on 17th Street crossing the National Mall.

Creator

D.B. King

Date

2006

Coverage

1920-1949

Source

Flickr. View original.