South Carolina removes 60-foot abandoned barge from James Island waterway

By AI, Created 3:50 PM UTC, May 19, 2026, /AGP/ – The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources pulled a roughly 60-foot abandoned barge from Wappoo Cut near James Island on May 7. Officials say the vessel had been a hazard to marshes, boaters and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, and the removal is part of a broader crackdown on derelict boats.

Why it matters: - The barge was both an environmental threat and a navigation hazard in a sensitive Lowcountry waterway. - S.C. Department of Natural Resources leaders say removing abandoned vessels protects marshes, waterways and coastal communities. - The cleanup also shows how South Carolina is using its abandoned boat law to target vessels left to decay in state waters.

What happened: - S.C. Department of Natural Resources removed a roughly 60-foot abandoned barge on May 7 near the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Wappoo Cut, also known as Wappoo Creek, off James Island. - The vessel had sat abandoned since 2021. - Dr. Tom Mullikin, who directs SCDNR, said he knew the barge had to come out immediately after first seeing it. - Mullikin said the barge posed a physical danger to duck hunters and fishermen traveling by boat, especially at night.

The details: - SCDNR has removed multiple derelict or abandoned vessels since Mullikin took over the agency in February 2025. - Recent removals have taken place near Johns Island, off Hilton Head and near Georgetown. - In August 2025, SCDNR pulled a 120-foot abandoned U.S. Navy torpedo-retriever boat from Bohicket Creek near Johns Island. - That removal led to the first arrest under South Carolina’s abandoned boat law. - The law took effect on May 5, 2025. - The law makes it unlawful to cause or allow a vessel to become abandoned or derelict. - The law also makes it unlawful to intentionally or recklessly sink a vessel in state waters. - The statute is a misdemeanor, but penalties can include heavy fines and imprisonment. - After removal, the torpedo-retriever boat was cleaned, cleared safe and resunk offshore as part of the state’s artificial reef system. - The reef system is designed to benefit fish, marine life, anglers and divers. - More information is available in the S.C. Department of Natural Resources website.

Between the lines: - South Carolina is pairing cleanup work with enforcement, not just vessel removal. - The state is treating abandoned boats as a public safety issue, a habitat issue and a law-enforcement issue. - Reusing at least some removed vessels as artificial reefs suggests the state is trying to turn a disposal problem into an environmental asset.

What’s next: - SCDNR officials are likely to keep targeting abandoned and derelict vessels across the coast. - Enforcement under the abandoned boat law appears set to continue alongside removals. - More boats removed from state waters may be recycled into the artificial reef system if they can be cleaned and made safe.