North Carolina Canals - The Known Canals
To date, there isn't very much information about the canals of North Carolina available - online or in currently available books. If you search the 'Net for canals, you may find many of those listed below with maps showing their locations - but, you will not find much "history" about any of them except perhaps for some that are highlighted and can be clicked on for additional information. If anyone knows of more canals or has any information on those not highlighted, please contact the Author. All help is greatly appreciated.

Canal

County

Length

Started

Completed

Notes

1st Tributary Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

2nd Tributary Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

3rd Tributary Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

4th Tributary Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

A Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Adams Creek Canal

Carteret

-

1907

1911
 -

Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal

Currituck

14.1 mi

1856

1859
 Now part of Intracoastal Waterway

Allen Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Allen Pocket Canal

Bladen

-

-

-
 For log transportation to Lumber River

Alligator Canal

Lenoir

-

-

-
 -

B Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Ballahack Canal

Martin

-

-

-
 -

Basnight Canal

Tyrrell

-

-

-
 -

Bean Shoals Canal

Surry

3 mi

1820

1835
 Never operational. 2 miles constructed.

Beaverdam Swamp Canal

Harnett

-

-

-
 -

Bee Tree Canal

Tyrrell

-

-

-
 Lake Phelps to Scuppernong River

Beehive Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Beer Can Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Big Branch Canal

Robeson

-

-

-
 -

Big Swamp Canal

Robeson

-

-

-
 -

Billy's Ditch

Dare

-

-

-
 -

Bonarva Canal

Tyrrell

-

-

-
 Lake Phelps to Scuppernong River

Bonner Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Borman Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Boundary Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Broad Creek Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Brooks Creek Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Bryant Swamp Canal

Bladen

-

-

-
 -

Buckleberry Canal

Pitt

-

-

-
 -

Bull Boulevard Ditch

Camden

-

-

-
 -

Burus Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

C Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Canal A

Washington

-

-

1950s
 -

Canal B

Washington

-

-

1950s
 -

Canal C

Washington

-

-

1950s
 -

Canal D

Washington

-

-

1950s
 -

Cape Fear Navigation - Lower

Multiple

111 mi

1915

1935
 -

Cape Fear Navigation - Upper

Multiple

85 mi

1810s

1855
 Destroyed due to severe flooding 1865

Carters Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Catawba River Navigation

Multiple

-

-

-
 -

Channel 7 Canal

Pitt

-

-

-
 -

Clayton Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Clubfoot Creek-Harlow Creek Canal

Carteret

6 mi

1795

1827
 Abandoned 1855. Rebuilt and reopened in 1885 as Newberne to Beaufort Canal; now called Harlowe Canal

Corapeake Ditch

Camden

10 mi

1816

-
 North of Cross Canal, at VA State Line

Core Creek Canal

Carteret

-

-

-
 -

County Line Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

County Line Ditch

Gates

-

-

-
 -

Cove Canal

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Cox Canal

Craven

-

-

-
 -

Cromwell Canal

Edgecombe

-

-

-
 -

Cross Canal

Camden

11 mi

-

1822
 aka White Oak Spring Canal

D Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Dehoog Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Devil's Ditch

Pender

-

-

-
 In Rocky Point area, drains into NE Cape Fear River

Dike Ditch

Pasquotank

-

-

-
 2 with same name

Dike Leg

Pasquotank

-

-

-
 2 with same name

Dismal Swamp Canal

Camden

22 mi

1793

1805
 -

Dividing Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Drip Ditch

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Dunbar Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

E Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

East Canal

Craven

-

-

-
 -

East Canal

Currituck

-

-

-
 -

East Tarboro Canal

Edgecombe

~4 mi

<1865
 On 1865 Map of NC by A.D. Bache

Eightmile Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 Built as dividing line for properties

Eno Canal

Durham

1 mi

-

-
 4 miles north of Durham

Evans Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Fairfield Canal

Hyde

4.5 mi

1872

1874
 -

Flat Swamp Ditch

Cumberland

8 mi

-

1912
 Main canal 6 miles; Lateral 1 one mile; Lateral 2 one mile

Florida Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Flowers Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Folly Ditch

Gates

-

-

-
 -

Forest Line Ditch

Camden

-

-

-
 -

French Broad River Navigation

Multiple

40 mi

1880s

1880s
 Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania counties.

Grain Ditch

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Gray Ditch

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Greys Canal

Tyrrell

-

-

-
 -

Guinea Mill Run Canal

Currituck

-

-

-
 -

Gum Branch Canal

Robeson

-

-

-
 -

Gum Log Canal

Cumberland

5.3 mi

-

1912
 Main canal 4.3 miles, Lateral one mile

Gum Run Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Gum Swamp Canal

Robeson

-

-

-
 -

Hair Canal

Cumberland

3 mi

-

-
 -

Hammock Ditch

Dare

-

-

-
 2 with same name

Harlem Canal

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Harlowe Canal

Carteret

-

-

-
 Parallels to east of Clubfoot-Harlow Canal

Harvester Canal

Wasington

-

-

-
 -

Hydeland Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Insurance Ditch

Camden

-

-

-
 -

Island Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

J Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Jarvis Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Jennies Gut

Perquimans

-

-

-
 -

John Ditch

Carteret

-

-

-
 -

Johnson Ditch

Henderson

-

-

-
 -

Juniper Canal

Hyde

5 mi

-

<1808
 On 1808 NC Map by Price-Strother

Keep Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Keys Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Kim Saunders Ditch

Camden

-

-

-
 -

Kings Bluff Aqueduct

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Knight Canal

Edgecombe

-

-

-
 -

Lake Landing Canal

Hyde

4 mi

-

<1808
 On 1808 NC Map by Price-Strother. First called The Great Ditch

Lateral A Canal

Currituck

-

-

-
 -

Lateral Canal D

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Lateral Canal E

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Lateral Canal F

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Lateral Canal G

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Lateral Canal H

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Leary Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Leggett Canal

Edgecombe

-

-

-
 -

Lewis Canal

Washington

-

-

1950s
 -

Lewis Canal

Pitt

-

-

-
 -

Line Canal

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Lot Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Lowes Ditch

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Lyon Swamp Canal

Pender

-

-

-
 -

Main Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 aka Transportation Canal, to drain Lake Phelps

Markel Canal

Pitt

-

-

-
 -

Marsh Canal

Bladen

-

-

-
 -

McKnights Ditch

Dare

-

-

-
 -

Middle Canal

Craven

-

-

-
 -

Mitchell Swamp Canal

Martin

-

-

-
 -

Moccasin Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 Built to serve Somerset Place Plantation

Mountain Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 Built to serve Somerset Place Plantation

Mouse Harbor Ditch

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Newberry Ditch

Washington

-

-

-
 -

New Land Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Newland Drainage Canal

Pasquotank

-

-

-
 -

Ninefoot Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 Built as dividing line for property

North Canal

Crave

-

-

-
 -

North Line Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Number 1 East Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Number 2 Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Number Three Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Old Canal

Carteret

-

-

-
 -

Old Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Old State Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Oregon Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Outfall Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Peniten Canal

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Penstock Canal

Macon

-

-

-
 -

Phillips Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Piney Island Canal

Robeson

-

-

-
 -

Piney Pond Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Polk Ditch

Mecklenburg

-

-

-
 -

Pollocks Canal

Jones

3 mi

-

<1833
 On 1833 NC Map by MacRae-Brazier; between Catfish Lake and Mill Creek

Pungo Lake Canal

Hyde

>10 mi

-

<1865
 On 1865 NC Map by A.D. Bache

Pungo River Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Pungo River-Alligator River Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Quarter Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Reed Hammock Ditch

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Rhem Canal

Lenoir

-

-

-
 -

River Ditch

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

River Swamp Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Roanoke Canal

Halifax

13.5 mi

1815

1823
 aka Weldon Canal

Roland Creek Canal

Currituck

-

-

-
 -

Roper Ditch

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Rose Bay Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Rose Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Run Swamp Canal

Camden

-

-

-
 -

Saint John's Canal

Pitt

-

-

-
 -

Salt Marsh Ditch

Bladen

-

-

-
 -

Sandhill Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Sawyer Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Sheppard Run Canal

Beaufort

-

-

-
 -

Sherrill Ditch

Camden

-

-

-
 -

Shiloh Canal

Pitt

-

-

-
 -

Skinners Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Somerset Canal

Tyrrell

6 mi

1786

1788
 aka Collins Canal; connects Lake Phelps to Scuppernong River

South Canal

Craven

-

-

-
 -

Squyards Canal

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Stevens Canal

Robeson

-

-

-
 -

Strauss Canal

Columbus

-

-

-
 -

Suggs Branch Canal

Pitt

-

-

-
 -

Swindells Canal

Hyde

<2 mi

-

<1833
 On 1833 NC Map by MacRae-Brazier

Tenfoot Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

The Blowout

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

The Canal

Stanly

-

-

1900s
 Probably built by the Whitney Reduction Co.

The Haulover

Hyde

-

-

-
 -

Thirty-Foot Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 Built to serve Somerset Place Plantation

Thomas Canal

Pitt

-

-

-
 -

Turners Cut

Camden

-

-

-
 -

Western Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 -

Weston Canal

Washington

-

-

-
 Built to serve Somerset Place Plantation

Weyerhauser Ditch

Gates

-

-

-
 -

White Oak Canal

Bladen

-

-

-
 -

Whitehurst Creek Canal

Pamlico

-

-

-
 -

Willoughby Canal

Robeson

-

-

-
 -

Worth Canal

Bladen

-

-

-
 -

© 2007 - J.D. Lewis - PO Box 1188 - Little River, SC 29566 - All Rights Reserved