Charleston Harbor Deepening Project

The Charleston Harbor Deepening Project was a feat of engineering, made possible by many entities, including the US Army Corps of Engineers and South Carolina Ports. The purpose of this project was to deepen the channel of the harbor, which connects five different marine terminals to the Atlantic Ocean, so that any ship of any size can call to port at any tide. After its completion, the channel was successfully deepened from 45 feet to 54 feet, and the harbor was deepened to 52 feet.

For many decades, Crab Bank has served as a sea bird sanctuary, home to over 5,000 nests each summer. The sandbank, situated in the middle of Charleston Harbor, is home to both migratory and resident birds such as brown pelicans, American oystercatchers, black skimmers, and royal terns. Crab Bank has been steadily eroding over the past few years.

Collaboration between SC Ports, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Conservation League, Coastal Expeditions, Audubon SC, and many more entities, the solution to save Crab Bank was to use dredged sand material from the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project and divert it onto the bank. More than 660,000 cubic yards of sand was used to create 32 acres of nesting area for thousands of birds for years to come.

The Charleston Harbor Deepening Project was a huge success story for the state of South Carolina. SC Ports' operations, and all activities associated with SC Ports, support 1 in 9 jobs in South Carolina and generate nearly $87 billion in annual economic activity. The Charleston Harbor Deepening Project supports the companies that call South Carolina home, as well as attracts new business opportunities to generate revenue for years to come. This project was one of the many examples of how the economy and environment can coexist.

South Carolina Ports Authority 200 Ports Authority Drive Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Bob Hawks: 843.666.3789 English Purcell: 843.577.8184 Switchboard: 843.577.8786 Customer Service: 843.579.4433

Special Thanks to Bernard Brown © 2023 South Carolina Ports Authority. All Rights Reserved.  https://scspa.com/