Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
| Gulf Intracoastal Waterway | |
|---|---|
Leland Bowman Lock near Intracoastal City, Louisiana, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway | |
The route of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway | |
| Location | Gulf Coast of the United States |
| Country | United States |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 1,300 miles (2,100 km) |
| History | |
| Date completed | June 18, 1949 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Brownsville, Texas |
| End point | Saint Marks, Florida |
| Branch of | Intracoastal Waterway |
| Connects to | Various |
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately 1,300 mi (2,100 km) from Saint Marks, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas.
The waterway provides a channel with a controlling depth of 12 ft (3.7 m), designed primarily for barge transportation. Although the U.S. government proposals for such a waterway were made in the early 19th century, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway was not completed until 1949.