Southwest Waterfront (The Wharf) built on reclaimed shoreline

The modern Wharf district at the Southwest Waterfront occupies land that was substantially altered and extended into the Potomac River by 19th- and 20th-century wharf construction, dredging, and landfill. Historic maps show the original shoreline lay well inland of today's Maine Avenue SW piers; the current mixed-use development sits on that reclaimed tideland and rebuilt piers. The transformation of the waterfront involved burying streams such as Tiber Creek and reshaping the river edge for maritime and urban uses.