The Columbia Canal is the surviving

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

of a series of canals built by the

State of South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

in 1824 using the labor of indentured Irishmen to provide direct water routes between the upstate settlements and the towns on the

Fall Line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...

. It is on the Congaree and Broad rivers in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

. It is the focal point of the Riverfront Park in Columbia. The canal is now used to generate

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

power by the South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. The Columbia Canal is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

, No. 79002392. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information, and copies of the nomination forms. There are additional pictures, and information available from the

Historic American Engineering Record Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS). It administers three programs established to document historic places in the United States: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American E ...

at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

History

1824 Canal

In 1820, construction started on a canal to navigate the rapids where the Broad River and the

Saluda River The Saluda River is a principal tributary of the Congaree River, about 200 mi (320 km) long, in northern and western South Carolina in the United States. Via the Congaree River, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, whic ...

form the

Congaree River The Congaree River is a short but wide river in South Carolina in the United States; It flows for approximately 53 miles (85 km). The river serves an important role as the final outlet channel for the entire Lower Saluda and Lower Broad wa ...

. It used a natural ravine that was between the City of Columbia and the Congaree and Broad Rivers. The canal started between Lumber (currently Calhoun) and Richland Streets. It ran along the Congaree for about 3.1 mi (5 km). It ended across from Granby Landing just north of the current railroad bridges across the Congaree. The canal was completed in 1824. It was 12 ft (3.7 m) wide and 2.5 ft (0.8 m) deep north of Senate St. South of Senate St., the canal was 18 ft (5.5 m) wide and 4 ft (1.2 m) deep. It had an 8 ft (2.4 m) wide towpath on either side. The canal had four lifting locks and one guard lock for the 34 ft (10 m) descent of the river. A diversion dam was built across the Broad River to allow access from the Saluda Canal. There were three waste

weir A weir or low-head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the water level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

s to prevent flooding of the canal. A separate canal, which was called Bull Sluice, was constructed north of Columbia Canal on the Broad River, This ½ mi (0.8 km) long canal had one lock. The 1891 canal extended the Columbia Canal upstream of Bull Sluice. In 1840, the State of South Carolina dropped its subsidy of the canal. In 1842, the railroads came to Columbia and the traffic on the canal decreased. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

, the hydraulic power of the canal was used to make gunpowder. Mills that used the canal for power were a grist mill run by the State Penitentiary, another grist mill, and a saw mill. Portions of the 1824 canal south of Gervais St. survive today. Also parts of the Bull Sluice canal remain.

1891 Canal

In 1888, the canal was redesigned as an industrial power source. The revised design started at Gervais St. and extended about 3½ mi(5.6 km) north along the Congaree and Broad Rivers. It was about 150 ft (46 m) wide and 10 ft (3 m) deep. It included a new diversion dam, an entry lock, and a waste weir. It was opened in 1891. The Columbia Mill, now known as the South Carolina State Museum, was built on high ground north of Gervais Street. To power the alternating current motors in the mills, a powerhouse was built on the canal about 600 ft (183 m) away. This made it the first textile mill in the world to use AC motors and generate power away from the mill. The Columbia Hydro plant was built at the southern end of the canal. This produced power for industry, the City of Columbia, and the street railway system. It was once operated by the South Carolina Electric & Gas Co.

2008

In September 2008, the St Columbia division of the

Ancient Order of Hibernians The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH; ) is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be male, Catholic, and either born in Ireland or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is in the United States, where it was founded in New Yo ...

dedicated a memorial to the Irish canal workers that built the Columbia Canal. Known as the South Carolina Irish Memorial, this granite memorial pays tribute to the Irish workers that built and also died digging this canal, many that are buried at the nearby St. Peter's Catholic Church.

2015

As a result of catastrophic flooding in early October, the canal was breached. Shortly after, the

South Carolina Army National Guard The South Carolina Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the U.S. Army's available combat forces and approximat ...

made a claim that repair was underway. In 2021 the funding for repairs, coming from the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, was approved and repairs have been estimated to be completed by 2023. As of February 2024, repairs on the canal have yet to begin. They still remain in the planning stage.

References

External links

* {{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Canals on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Canals in South Carolina Transportation in Columbia, South Carolina Buildings and structures in Columbia, South Carolina Historic American Engineering Record in South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Columbia, South Carolina Canals opened in 1824 Canals opened in 1893