Enchanting Washington cherry blossoms are at peak, but...
Washington's cherry blossom season has gone well this year, thanks to warm weather that has coincided perfectly with the annual blooming that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each spring.
Washington's cherry blossom season has gone well this year, thanks to warm weather that has coincided perfectly with the annual blooming that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each spring. (Photo | AP)
The 107-acre man-made reservoir borders the Jefferson Memorial and is home to the highest concentration of cherry blossom trees. (Photo | AP)
Decades of wear and tear from foot traffic, combined with rising sea levels and a deteriorating sea wall, have created a chronic flooding problem in the Tidal Basin. (Photo | AP)
The National Park Service, along with the Trust for the National Mall and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is undertaking a campaign to save the Tidal Basin. (Photo | AP)
In addition to rebuilding the battered sea wall and addressing the flooding problem, the groups want to improve walkways and update security systems. (Photo | AP)
The higher silt concentration of the floodwaters is shortening the life span of the hundreds of cherry blossom trees that ring the basin. (Photo | AP)
Early estimates are that the rehabilitation project would require as much as $500 million, with organizers seeking a combination of government money and private donations.(Photo | AP)
Even without the worsening flooding problem, Kenneally said the entire network of sidewalks and pathways needs to be expanded to accommodate the modern visitor numbers.(Photo | AP)
