The Charleston Harbor is an
inlet (8 sq mi/20.7 km²) of the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
at
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
. The inlet is formed by the junction of
Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsc'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...
and
Cooper
Cooper, Cooper's, Coopers and similar may refer to:
* Cooper (profession), a maker of wooden casks and other staved vessels
Arts and entertainment
* Cooper (producers), alias of Dutch producers Klubbheads
* Cooper (video game character), in ...
rivers at .
Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
and
Sullivan's Islands shelter the entrance. Charleston Harbor forms part of the
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following th ...
.
History
![Charleston Harbor in 1682](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Charleston_Harbor_in_1682.jpg)
The harbor contains
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battle ...
, the site of the first shots of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. Charleston Harbor was also the site of the first successful
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
attack in history on February 17, 1864, when the ''
H.L. Hunley'' made a daring
night attack on the
USS ''Housatonic'', during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
![Charleston Harbor Jetty](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Charleston_Harbor_Jetty.png)
The 12-foot natural depth of the harbor was a major reason for the establishment and growth of Charleston. The
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1852 authorized the federal government to dredge the channels of the harbor to a depth of 17 feet. This deepening work was interrupted by the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
and was not completed until after the war's end. The
jetties
A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying somet ...
at the entrance to the harbor were constructed between 1878 and 1886.
Transportation
The harbor includes public terminals owned and operated by the
South Carolina Ports Authority
The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) owns and operates public seaport facilities in Charleston and Georgetown, as well as Inland Ports in Greer, South Carolina, and Dillon, South Carolina. Established by the South Carolina General Assembly in ...
, as well as private terminals. Existing federal channels are dredged to an authorized depth of 45 feet below
mean lower low water
A chart datum is the water level surface serving as origin of depths displayed on a nautical chart. A chart datum is generally derived from some tidal phase, in which case it is also known as a tidal datum. Common chart datums are ''lowest as ...
. This depth is too shallow for
Post-Panamax
Panamax and New Panamax (or Neopanamax) are terms for the size limits for ships travelling through the Panama Canal. The limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in a publication titled "Vessel Requirements". ...
ships. The largest ships must carry less cargo, wait for favorable tide conditions, or combine these two approaches to reach port in Charleston. , the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
began to design a deepening of the channels to 52 feet.
The harbor deepening project was spurred on by the Panama Canal’s recent expansion in an effort to handle the larger ships traveling from Panama without facing restrictions listed above. As of May 2017, the project will cost around $500 million, with $317.5 million federally allocated. Port officials plan to make the Charleston Harbor the deepest harbor on the East Coast by the end of the decade.
See also
*
Charleston, South Carolina in the American Civil War
Charleston, South Carolina, was a hotbed of secession at the start of the American Civil War and an important Atlantic Ocean port city for the fledgling Confederate States of America. The first shots against the Federal government were those fire ...
*
References
External links
Charleston Harbor Post 45 Official project website
South Carolina State Ports Authority
{{Authority control
Intracoastal Waterway
Geography of Charleston, South Carolina
Landforms of Charleston County, South Carolina