New Canal Site. The canal, built in 1845 is one of the most complete in the nation and the southeast's most promising historic canal redvelopment project. The canal was built to bring upstate cotton and tobacco boats into the City of Augusta, once the largest inland cotton market in the world. The canal also provided hydraulic power to textile mills and factories along it serpentine route, twisting through downtown Augusta before feeding back into the Savannah River.
New plans callfor the entire canal to be re-integrated back into the life of the city.