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Canal System

Center:	Stennis Space Center
Location:	Hancock County, MS
Year Built:	1964
Historic Eligibility:	Pending evaluation
Important Tests:	Not a research facility

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[top] History

One reason for the decision to build the engine test facility which became the Stennis Space Center in southern Mississippi was the proximity to navigable to water, as barges were the preferred method of transport for the huge Saturn engines. In order to make this possible, 15 miles of the Pearl River had to be dredged and 7.5 miles of canals had to be dug to connect the test site itself to the river. This canal system includes a set of locks similar to those used on the Panama Canal, and is crossed by a bascule bridge (a type of drawbridge). A small fleet of specialized boats were built as part of this project, including several barges, a seagoing ship for transporting rockets from California, and a unique towboat called the Clermont.

[top] Photos

1985 Lock in canal	Dredging of the Pilot Channel for the Canal	1963 Dredging of Canal	1963 Dredging of Canal	1963 Dredging of Canal	1963 One of Two Dredges Used to Cut Canal	1964 Lock and Bascule Bridge Under Construction	1964 Lock Under Construction	1964 Lock Under Construction
1964 Canal system	1967 An S-IC engine moved on the Pearl River	1977 Point Clear moving Pearl River, at the lock	1977 Point Clear moving Pearl River, passing through the bascule bridge	1990 Clermont II on the canal	2001 Canal system	2001 Empty fuel barge on canal