The historic Savannah–Ogeechee Barge Canal is one of the prime relics in the history of southern

canals 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 flow u ...

. Beginning with the tidal lock at the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

, the

waterway A waterway is any Navigability, navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is ...

continues through four lift locks as it traverses , before reaching another tidal lock at the

Ogeechee River The Ogeechee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 26, 2011 blackwater river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It heads at the confluence of its North and Sout ...

Fort Stewart Fort Stewart is a United States Army post in the U.S. state of Georgia. It lies primarily in Liberty and Bryan counties, but also extends into smaller portions of Evans, Long, and Tattnall Counties. The nearby city of Hinesville, along with ...

. Along the way, the canal passed through

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

’s 19th century industrial corridor, former rice fields,

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

tracts, and a still lush tidal river

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

and adjacent

sandhill A sandhill is a type of ecological community or xeric wildfire-maintained ecosystem. It is not the same as a sand dune. It features very short fire return intervals, one to five years. Without fire, sandhills undergo ecological succession and b ...

environment that is the characteristic habitat for several unique species of

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

and

fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

. Nowadays much of this area comprises the Savannah suburbs of Garden City and Pooler. The canal was added to 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 ...

on August 11, 1997.

1825–1890s

The Savannah - Ogeechee Canal was an important and profitable enterprise during the mid-nineteenth century. Originally chartered in 1824, the 's of canal was completed in December 1830. Numerous problems (such as decay of wooden locks and repeated erosion of embankments) plagued the canal during its early days of operation. The parent company declared bankruptcy in 1836. A new company was formed that widened and improved existing structures within the canal. From the 1840s to the 1860s, the canal generally prospered and became an important element in the south

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

. The canal opened to transport in 1831 and became an important partner in the economy of south Georgia. Its impact on the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

trade was particularly important with one of the nation's largest

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

s located along the canal's basin.

Cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

guano Guano (Spanish from ) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. Guano is a highly effective fertiliser due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. Guano was also, to a le ...

naval stores Naval stores refers to the industry that produces various chemicals collected from conifers. The term was originally applied to the compounds used in building and maintaining wooden sailing ships. Presently, the naval stores industry are used to ...

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

es, and other goods also traversed the canal. Later in the century, the canal suffered a gradual decline. Heavy June

rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

s seriously damaged the canal embankments in 1876 coupled with a yellow fever

epidemic An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of hosts in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infection ...

which fatally inflicted over 1,000 individuals. The canal had become more a

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

nuisance than an economic asset. By the early 1890s, the canal ceased to operate as a transportation corridor as the

Central of Georgia Railway The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was constr ...

brought various

wharves A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths ( ...

warehouses A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, to ...

, and canal frontage properties.

Today

Now a century after the canal ceased commercial operations, local citizens have started to restore and interpret the

and its

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, biotic and abiotic component, abiotic things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to Earth or some parts ...

. In cooperation with Chatham County's Department of Parks,

Recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for happiness, enjoyment, amusement, ...

, and Cultural Affairs, the Savannah – Ogeechee Canal Society is working to turn the canal into a multipurpose linear park. A walk along the Heel or Tow paths provides a delightful and attractive setting to enjoy this unique waterway.

Savannah-Ogeechee Canal Museum & Nature Center

Currently most of the effort is expended at the

terminus near Lock 5 where the Savannah–Ogeechee Canal Museum & Nature Center at 681 Fort Argyle Rd, Savannah, is open. Exhibits highlight the canal's history and the natural history of the local area. The museum also offers guided history and natural history tours of the area.

References

External links

* * *
Savannah-Ogeechee Canal
historical marker
The 15th Corps at the Savannah and Ogeechee Canal
historical marker
Museum website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savannah-Ogeechee Canal Canals on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) Canals in Georgia (U.S. state) Buildings and structures in Chatham County, Georgia Museums in Savannah, Georgia Nature centers in Georgia (U.S. state) Transportation museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Canal museums in the United States Transportation in Chatham County, Georgia Protected areas of Chatham County, Georgia Historic American Engineering Record in Georgia (U.S. state) Historic American Landscapes Survey in Georgia (U.S. state) Canals opened in 1830 1830 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in Chatham County, Georgia