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The John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir is located in the Roanoke River Basin which extends into north-central North Carolina and south-central Virginia. The project was completed in 1952 and provides hydropower, flood damage reduction, water supply, and recreation. Two downstream non-Federal hydropower reservoirs, Gaston and Roanoke Rapids dams, operated by Dominion North Carolina Power, have minimal active storage for daily hydropower peaking. The Kerr, Gaston and Roanoke Rapids projects operate cooperatively to generate power, reduce flood damage, and ensure appropriate downstream flows including those needed for anadromous fish during the spawning season. The lower Roanoke River basin is one of the finest remaining river swamp forest ecosystems in the eastern United States. The unique vegetative communities and bottomland hardwood forests, wetlands, uplands, and streams provide a high quality habitat for fish and wildlife, including waterfowl.

Resource concerns for the lower Roanoke River center on the need for restoration of extensive swamp and flood plain forests and fisheries, through changes to the flow regime. Federal and State agencies also suspect a correlation between the operation of John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir and fish kills in the lower Roanoke River basin due to low dissolved oxygen levels. The Section 216 study will consider changes to operation of and releases from the project and the resulting benefits and impacts on various project purposes and resources.

The Corps of Engineers and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement in July of 2002, forming a partnership, known as the Sustainable Rivers Program (SRP), to minimize the effects of operation of projects on rivers and to restore and preserve rivers across the country. The Nature Conservancy has designated the Roanoke River and the John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir project for study within the SRP. The Nature Conservancy plays a key role in protecting over 92,000 acres in the Roanoke River flood plain, is the land manager for over 32,000 acres along the Roanoke River and is actively engaged in the Kerr 216 study. Under this program, the Corps and stakeholders are trying to develop short term, interim operations changes to benefit the bottomland forest habitats along the lower Roanoke River while awaiting completion of the Section 216 study.

Overall, the John H. Kerr Section 216 Study has 11 technical work groups comprised of subject matter experts from over 20 Federal, State, local and non-governmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy.

The project is authorized under Section 216 of Public Law 91-611.

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