Intracoastal Waterway

… extends from Gloucester, Mass., to Key West, Fla., a distance of 1,950 mi., of which 308 are in North Carolina. It passes through sounds, rivers, and canals. The depth of the waterway is 12 ft., minimum width is 47 ft., and minimum vertical clearance is 80 ft. The oldest segment of the waterway in North Carolina was begun in 1856 as a private enterprise. In 1873 control and maintenance of the network of coastal canals was taken over by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, and work was expanded through the 1940s. Pleasure craft, towed barges, and small freight boats use the Intracoastal Waterway.