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Operations Info

Operations Contact Info:

Civil Works Project Management
69A Hagood Ave
Charleston, SC 29405

CESAC-PAO@usace.army.mil

Call the Charleston District - 866.329.8187

Wrecks and Obstructions Contact Info:

843-329-8142

CESAC-PAO@usace.army.mil

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Operations Overview

Every day, thousands of vessels move people, animals, and products across the country via the nation's rivers and harbors. This water traffic is a vital component of the nation's economy. One of the Corps primary missions is to ensure that this traffic can move safely, reliably, and efficiently and with minimal impact on the environment. Supporting navigation by maintaining and improving channels was the Corps of Engineers' earliest Civil Works mission, dating to federal laws in 1824.

The Corps' primary navigation responsibilities include planning and constructing new navigation channels and locks and dams, and dredging to maintain channel depths at U.S. harbors and on inland waterways.

The Corps operates and maintains 25,000 miles of navigable channels and 196 commercial lock and dam sites and is responsible for ports and waterways in 41 states. In partnership with local port authorities, Corps personnel oversee dredging and construction projects at hundreds of ports and harbors at an average annual cost of nearly $1.5 billion. The Corps dredges nearly 300 million cubic yards of material each year to keep the nation's waterways navigable. Much of this dredged material is reused for environmental restoration projects including the creation of wetlands.

Here in South Carolina, Charleston District’s most active navigation project is Charleston Harbor, where our Operation and Maintenance program dredges 2-3 million cubic yards of material each year to maintain the harbor. The District also has responsibility for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Georgetown Harbor, and four other small harbors along the coast.

Navigation

The Charleston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for 15 navigation projects, shown above in red, along the South Carolina coast stretching from Little River Inlet near the North Carolina border to Port Royal Harbor on South Carolina’s southern coast.  

Providing safe and navigable waterways is a priority for the District. To keep the waterways open, the navigation program is responsible for the operation and maintenance of approximately 300 miles of navigation channels, which includes Charleston Harbor, several coastal inlets (Folly River, Jeremy Creek and Murrells Inlet), and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in South Carolina. To ensure that these channels are maintained to their authorized depth, the District has a state-of-the-art survey vessel that uses a multi-beam sonar system for high resolution coverage of the harbor floors to provide data and survey maps. The newest survey vessel to join the District’s fleet is the 26 feet long SV Heiselman which features a catamaran-style hull, a throttle system and a powered hydraulic steering system. The SV Heiselman will serve as the District’s primary small survey vessel, carrying all of the survey gear and bridging the gap between our inshore and offshore vessels. The survey program also uses a LiDAR system mounted on ATVs to conduct beach conditions surveys, which is often utilized by other Corps districts.

The navigation program is vital to the nation’s economy. Our nation’s coastal transportation system encompasses a network of navigable channels, ports, harbors, and infrastructure maintained by the Corps, as well as publicly and privately owned vessels, terminals, inter-modal connections, shipyards, and repair facilities. Coastal navigation is a key element of State and local government economic development and job-creation efforts, and is essential in maintaining economic competitiveness and national security.

Cooper River Rediversion Project

The Corps proposed the CRRP in the early 1970’s to reduce sedimentation and dredging costs in Charleston Harbor.  Construction began in 1978 and was completed in March 1985.  The project saves taxpayers $36 million per year in dredging costs in Charleston Harbor, while benefitting shipping, industrial development, hydropower, and fish and wildlife.

The St. Stephen fish lock was designed specifically for American shad and blueback herring, but striped bass, catfish, and other species also pass through it.  Major renovations in 2012 and 2013 will ensure passage of these important species for decades to come.