Pinopolis Dam facts for kids
The Pinopolis Dam is a large dam located in Berkeley County, South Carolina. It was finished in 1941 by a company called Santee Cooper. This company is owned by the state and provides electricity and water. The dam is made of earth and concrete. It stands about 138 feet (42 meters) tall and stretches for 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) across.
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Building the Pinopolis Dam
The Pinopolis Dam is a key part of a much bigger project. This project was designed to help the area in many ways. It improved how boats could travel, created hydroelectric power (electricity from water), and boosted the local economy. It also made the area healthier and better for fun activities.
A Huge Construction Project
Building the dam was a massive undertaking. It was the largest land-clearing project in U.S. history at that time. More than 12,500 workers helped clear over 177,000 acres (720 km2) of swamps and forests. They built about 42 miles (68 km) of dams and dikes. This included a long earthen dike, about 26-mile (42 km) long and 78-foot (24 m) tall.
The Pinopolis Dam itself includes a power station that makes electricity. It also has a special navigation lock. This lock helps boats move between different water levels. At the time, it was the highest single-lift lock in the world. To control floods, a 3,400-foot (1,000 m) long spillway was built. This spillway has 62 gates that can open to let out extra water.
Moving Earth and Pouring Concrete
The construction of the Pinopolis Dam and its related projects involved moving a huge amount of material. Workers moved about 42,000,000 cubic yards (32,000,000 m3) of earth. They also poured 3.1 million cubic yards of concrete. This made it the biggest earth-moving project in the nation's history at that time.
How the Dam Works
The Pinopolis Dam holds back the Cooper River. This creates a large body of water known as Lake Moultrie. Lake Moultrie also gets water directly from Lake Marion. A special canal was built at the same time as the dam to connect these two lakes.
This man-made connection changed the natural flow of the rivers. It effectively joined the Santee and Cooper River systems. Now, they act like one big water system.
Powering South Carolina
The entire project cost $48.2 million. A large part of this money came from the federal government as a loan and a grant. The project started generating electricity on February 17, 1942. As power lines were built, electricity began flowing to homes and businesses. It first reached customers in Berkeley, Georgetown, and Horry counties. Eventually, it powered electric cooperatives in 46 counties across South Carolina.
Historical Impact
Building the dam and creating the lakes changed the landscape forever. The project flooded several historical sites. This included parts of the old Santee Canal. It also covered cemeteries and plantations in St. John's Parish Berkeley. While the project brought many benefits, it also covered up some important parts of the area's past.
