_Time, abetted by man and nature, has changed the face of the Nation's
River. Nature's rains, snows, ice and floods continually carve the
shores. Man, also, changes the Potomac through man-made fills, walls,
docks, bridges and piers. The arbitrary changes by man and nature have
reached the point where careful planning and consideration must be given
to the river's future in order to preserve its majestic beauty as The
Nation's River._
[Illustration]
[Illustration: 1830]
[Illustration: 1800]
[Illustration: 1872]
[Illustration: 1936 Flood scene]
[Illustration: Civil War Chain Bridge]
[Illustration: Early 1900--canoeists near Seneca, Md.]
[Illustration: 1917 Washington Waterfront]
[Illustration: Washington Waterfront today]
[Illustration: POTOMAC RIVER BASIN]
[Illustration]