“People like to call it the locks but it is just the lock,” said Willard Strong a media specialist with Santee Copper.
To get from the Tailrace Canal into Lake Moultrie and back by boat, the lock is the only way.
“It really wasn’t meant for recreational boating per se; it was meant for inland navigation and commercial traffic but that never really panned out,” Strong said.
Recreational boaters use the lock often. From the Tailrace Canal, massive steel gates 80 feet high slowly open to allow boats to enter into the concrete box, 180 feet long and 60 feet wide.
“You pull in and you tie up to the floating mooring area in the lock, safety is the primary thing, we want people to safely tie up and stay in the boat,” Strong said.
Once inside and tied up, the gates close. A final ray of light peers between the giant doors before they shut tight. Then as if you are toy in giant bathtub, water is pumped in and boat begins to rise.
“I have been in here on the 4th of July with 20 other boats, of course it depends on how long the boat is,” Strong said.
In about 15 minutes, occupants rise 75 feet from, from the canal. Another set of gates on the other end eases open spilling into the expansive lake above.
The lock is mainly for boaters but Santee Cooper has found other ways to take advantage of the structure, using it in ways engineers probably didn’t think about so many years ago.
“We also use the locks in cooperation with DNR to actually move fish from the river in the lake during the spring when they are on their spawning run,” said Larry McCord, manager of Environmental Resources at Santee Cooper.
With the summer boating season heating up, the lock will begin to get very busy in the coming months. Santee Cooper recently started the spring and summer hours for the lock. Starting April 10, the lock began operating from 9 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Santee Cooper officials said they want to remind boaters the lock does not operate during thunderstorms or rough-water conditions. Boats or watercraft must be at least 10 feet in length and no longer than 150 feet. Watercraft, such as Jet Skis, must be tied to boats during the lock operation.
Normally a dozen 16-foot boats can fit at one time. Santee Cooper officials say it is important keep the hours of operation in mind because the locking procedure takes between 20 and 45 minutes to complete, depending on the crowd.
While use of the lock is free, Santee Cooper asks that if you have a large party of boats, you are encouraged to call 843-899-LOCK (5625) in advance.
