South Carolina doesn’t have canals in the same sense as you’ll find farther south along the eastern coast of the U.S. in Florida. But we do have canals leading into and out of Lake Moultrie that are fun to explore, especially an adventure that includes a trip through the engineering marvel known as the Pinopolis Lock.
Now, if you're not familiar with the Pinopolis Lock, then don't feel bad; neither was I under I took my first trip through it 25 years ago.
The Pinopolis Dam was created by Santee Cooper and completed in 1941. Specifically, the dam blocks up the Cooper River and created Lake Moultrie. But Lake Moultrie is 75 feet above sea level and it's only 30 miles upstream from the ocean. So this created a need for boat craft to pass from the upper side of Lake Moultrie into the Cooper River below — and vice versa.
The solution was the only engineering marvel of its kind in the 1940s.
Initially, the plan was to build a series of seven locks, each dropping 10 feet. But plans changed, and a single lock with a drop of 75 feet was built instead. It was the first of its kind when it opened and was the highest single lift lock in the world.
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Today, there is a boat tour company, Fisheagle Wildlife Tours, that, during the month of October only, gives lock tours and a ride up the diversion canal built to the Cooper River.
You'll board their tour boat in Moncks Corner and take a leisurely ride up the river enroute to the Pinopolis Lock and Dam. Along the way, your tour guide will give some history of the sights you're passing, including rice fields and wildlife you may encounter.
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Once you arrive at the lock, the gate will open and the tour boat will pull inside.
The door will close behind you and a thrill may shoot up your spine. The chamber is 160 feet long and 60 feet wide. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the lock to fill up with 6 million gallons of water; as it does, your tour boat will miraculously be lifted up to the same height as Lake Moultrie.
Once you've reached the height of the lake, the lock's doors will open again, allowing your tour boat to motor into Lake Moultrie, where you'll cruise around the shoreline for a short while before returning to the lock for the ride back down.
In all, the entire tour takes anywhere from 2.5 to 3 hours depending on a few factors on the specific day you go. If you've never experienced traveling through this engineering marvel before, or a ride up the Cooper River canal that was created when they build the dam, then make this your October to make it happen.
The Canal ride and Pinopolis Lock Tour is only offered in the month of October, so reserve your spot soon. The tour boat holds 30 people.
Fisheagle Nature Adventures is located in Santee, South Carolina. The Lock tour leaves from Moncks Corner. Tickets for the canal ride and lock tour are limited and cost $37 for ages 13 and up; $30 for ages 3-12; children 2 and under are free. Seniors and Military enjoy a $2 discount. Group tours are available. For more information, see the “locks” link at the top of the home page on the official website of Fisheagle Nature Adventures.
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