Overnight Canal Road Closures Continue Through June

Overnight road closures are in place to allow for repairs of the Arizona Avenue Bridge.

Overnight closures of Canal Road and the eastbound side of the Chain Bridge will continue from 8:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday now through June 13. The National Park Service and the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division are in the midst of making emergency repairs to the Arizona Avenue Bridge, according to a District Department of Transportation (DDOT) news release. Though work should be limited to week nights, it is possible that overnight work could take place on Friday and Saturday nights. According to DDOT, road impacts are as follows: "During work hours Canal Road, NW will be entirely closed between Arizona Avenue, NW and the Chain Bridge (Clara Barton Parkway) and the eastbound side of the Chain Bridge will be closed …

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Jack's Boathouse Pursuing Litigation Against NPS

The Georgetown waterfront fixture will file a complaint in US District Court this week.

Jack's Boathouse is taking its fight to maintain its right to operate a boat rental company at the Georgetown waterfront all the way to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia this week, according to the Washington City Paper. The small business seeks to prevent the National Park Service from proceeding with its open bidding process for a new concession for the site. NPS says it is only following its standard protocol for contracts on park property by pursuing a concession contract rather than renegotiating a lease with boathouse owner Paul Simkin. Interested in getting Georgetown Patch directly into your inbox each morning? Learn more about our daily newsletter. Simkin and his attorney, Charles Camp, previously …

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Shaun Courtney

3:08 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Thanks Linda. I'm not an idiot, it was a typo. -Shaun   more ›

NPS Responds to Jack's Boathouse Conflict

The National Park Service is seeking to create a new contract for a boathouse operation on the Georgetown waterfront.

The National Park Service (NPS) is moving forward with plans to create a new contract for a boat rental operation on the Georgetown waterfront as the agency explores recent allegations by current tenant Jack's Boathouse that NPS does not have jurisdiction over the property. "We believe that we have full jurisdiction of the Georgetown waterfront park," Jennifer Mummart, the acting NPS associate regional director for communications in the national capital region, told Patch. But Friday, Jack's owner Paul Simkin and his attorney Charles Camp told Patch they believe NPS no longer has jurisdiction over the Georgetown waterfront and that control actually should have reverted to the District government years ago. "We are looking into it," Mummart…

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Reflecting Pool to Reopen After Extensive Renovation

A new circulation system will pull water from the Tidal Basin, saving millions of gallons of water each year.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will show off its $34 million makeover this month when it is refilled for the first stime since undergoing reconstruction beginning in November 2010. It will take the National Park Service several days to fill the pool, which is scheduled to be reopened to the public at the end of August. The changes impact both the sustainability and appearance of the historically-significant element on The National Mall.  “With this renovation, we have given the Reflecting Pool a much-needed overhaul and brought its engineering into the 21st century. The design is accessible and sustainable, significantly reducing water usage, improving water quality, and welcoming visitors from around the world who come to see this …

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Boathouse Eyed for Potomac River Virginia Shoreline

NPS is seeking public input on the placement of potential boathouses along the Potomac River.

The National Park Service (NPS), already considering a boathouse zone along the Potomac in Washington, D.C., is now setting its sites on Arlington, VA too. Boathouses could one day spot the landscape on either side of the Key Bridge. Tuesday, NPS will hold a public scoping meeting on "proposed siting and construction of a public facility for non-motorized boats on the Virginia shoreline of the Potomac River," according to the project website. The meeting will be at Washington-Lee High School from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Congress tasked the NPS in 1998 with identifying sites in Arlington and in 2002 the agency published a feasibility study for the area. "The study examined building a facility, which included indoor storage space and floating …

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Georgetown Waterfront Fountain Shut Off Tuesday

Maintenance issues shut down the water feature in the Georgetown Waterfront Park.

The water fountain at the Georgetown Waterfront Park is waterless Tuesday. The National Park Service's Rock Creek Park office manages the Georgetown park. Donald Kirk, the park service facility manager for Rock Creek Park, told Patch that he received a call from his maintenance contractor around 1 p.m. Tuesday informing him of an issue with the fountain. At this point they are not certain of the cause, but believe that an electrical fuse is to blame, said Kirk. Another park service contractor is en route to investigate. "It may be up and running tonight," said Kirk. "The worst case scenario, I hope, is tomorrow." H/t to Twitter user Angela Haupt for letting us know about the fountain issues in the first place. Follow Georgetown Patch on …

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TONIGHT: Farewell Party for 'The Georgetown'

Neighbors will gather to mourn the loss of The Georgetown, a replica mule-drawn canal boat, at 5 p.m. at Lock 4 (between Thomas Jefferson and 31st Streets).

Canal Boat Farewell Party Planned for Wednesday

Neighbors will gather to mourn the loss of The Georgetown, a replica mule-drawn canal boat.

The farewell party for "The Georgetown" replica canal boat, which will soon be transported to Fletchers Cove and destroyed, is Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Lock 4 (between Thomas Jefferson and 31st Streets). "Demonstrate your support for our historic, reproduction canal boat and the loss of this interpretive treasure by joining with us," reads an invitation sent to neighbors and supporters last week. It is not clear if the boat will be taken away to be destroyed this week or at a later time. The National Park Service (NPS) did not respond to an email Patch sent Thursday inquiring about the timeline. As Patch previously reported, the NPS, which operates the C&O Canal and its historic outreach programs, determined that repairs to the mule-drawn …

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Shaun Courtney

11:46 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Thanks P Leary. The wake is part real, part PR; they hope to raise funds to have a new boat made!   more ›

Sharpshooting Approved to Control Deer Population in Rock Creek Park

The National Park Service will employ lethal and non-lethal means to control the deer population.

Sharpshooters will be used to thin the deer population in the Washington, D.C. portions of Rock Creek Park. The National Park Service recently approved a program of lethal and non-lethal means to reduce the deer population to prevent overgrazing that harms native plants. “This decision will allow us to start restoring native vegetation, protecting the diverse communities of plants and animals that live here, and preserving the natural and cultural resources in Rock Creek Park for this and future generations," said park Superintendent Tara Morrison in a prepared statement. In 2009, the NPS estimated that there were 67 deer per square mile. The goal density adopted in May is 15 to 20 deer per square mile because that is the "appropriate …

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Georgetown Boathouse Zone: Community Offers a Range of Visions

The four-hour public workshop Saturday morning yielded a range of views for how the waterfront should be used.

Rowers, paddlers, swimmers, cyclists and others, some 85 people in total, came out Saturday morning to weigh in on the proposed non-motorized boathouse zone at the Georgetown Waterfront. The National Park Service organized the Mar. 3 event. After four hours of discussion, planning, questions and comments, the group generally agreed on a few items: Beyond those points, the group was conflicted over the location, size and number of facilities for collegiate, scholastic and other uses. The workshop broke the attendees into teams, which used a map of the proposed area to create their suggestions for how to use the space NPS is considering for development. Team Two, composed mostly of Georgetown University representatives, advocated for keeping…

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