The Civil Works program is a major component of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Our civil works programs include water resource development activities including navigation safety, hurricane and storm risk management, ecosystem restoration, hydropower, and recreation.
The Charleston District’s civil works program includes the operation and maintenance of several navigation projects, including Charleston Harbor and 210 miles of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The Charleston District has been maintaining Charleston Harbor for more than 130 years and has dredged a portion of it every year during that time. The District has also completed storm damage reduction projects on the Grand Strand and Folly Beach to repair and protect against future disasters. The District also operates a hydropower dam and has completed multiple phases of a regional water supply project that provides power and safe drinking water to the area. Additionally, the District boasts an active regulatory program balancing responsible development and the preservation of our nation’s aquatic resources.
Storm and Flood Damage Reduction
The Charleston District has completed several beach nourishment projects, including the Grand Strand and Folly Beach, as part of our storm damage reduction mission and continues to look for ways to proactively reduce future damages along the coast. The District has also completed multiple flood damage reduction projects throughout the Lowcountry and the Midlands.
Environmental Infrastructure
The Charleston District has completed a water treatment facility for the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency. The project includes installing 62 miles of water transmission lines that will bring clean water to the area from the water treatment plant that generates approximately eight million gallons of water per day. As an additional part of the system, the District completed construction of a water tower in Orangeburg County to serve the local industrial park and nearby residents.
Hydropower
The Cooper River Rediversion Project and St. Stephen Powerhouse not only reduce shoaling in Charleston Harbor by rediverting water back to the Santee River, but also provide power to 40,000 homes in the Santee Cooper powergrid. The powerhouse is also home to the only fish passage project of its kind east of the Mississippi River.