Gleeful children hang on tightly to a giant, red tube as it’s flung across a wake. Fishermen tuck in quiet coves, cast lines, and take their time. Hikers traverse trails and look for wildlife. It’s summer on John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir, aka Buggs Island Lake.
Making lake life possible since 1952, Kerr Dam is a modern engineering masterpiece that created one of the largest reservoirs in the Southeastern United States. There’s more shoreline than highway in Mecklenburg County as this 50,000-acre lake extends 39 miles up the Roanoke River, and across 800 miles of wooded shoreline in Virginia and North Carolina combined. It draws more than 1.6 million visitors per year to towns like Boydton, Clarksville, and South Hill who come to the lake to boat, fish, camp, swim, picnic, hike, and hunt.
Eagle-eyed visitors may have noticed that on the Virginia side of the lake it’s called Buggs Island Lake, and on the opposite shoreline in North Carolina signs only refer to it as Kerr Lake. Why the discrepancy? There’s a story there.
The Buggs Island Project
The dam project was part of the Flood Control Act of 1944. It’s goal: prevent flooding in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. The town suffered a terrible flood in 1940 that caused more than $5 million in damage. The Army Corps of Engineers was tasked with building the dam to control the river level. Beyond flood protection, the hydroelectric dam would also provide electricity for the surrounding counties in Virginia and North Carolina, create recreation opportunities for residents in both states, and encourage protection of wildlife.
The original name for the project was "The Buggs Island Reservoir," named for the chosen dam site located a few miles north of a piece of property known as Bugg’s Island. Belonging to the descendants of Samuel Bugg III who bought it in 1750, the location was ideal for a concrete dam given the large amount of granite in the area. In 1947, funding for the $100-million construction project was championed through Congress by North Carolina Congressman John H. Kerr.
For four years, 2,100 men worked in shifts around the clock, seven days a week to build the massive dam, powerhouse, and switchyard. Its construction alone boasts some pretty impressive stats: 624,000 cubic yards of concrete made from 578,000 barrels of cement and 1,2000,000 tons of crushed stone and sand. The 53 giant sections called monoliths are 144 feet tall and the dam is 2,785 feet wide.
Since it’s completion, the hydroelectric dam is estimated to have saved in excess of $400 million in cumulative flood damage. Its seven main generators average 425,000 megawatt hours of electricity each year.
A Dam Dedication and a Joint Resolution
In 1952, the dam was formally dedicated as the John H. Kerr Dam in honor of the North Carolina Congressman who helped ensure its completion.
The then-Virginia State Senator and future Governor Albertis S. Harrison, Jr. didn’t take too kindly to that decision, especially since the three-fourths of the dam project was on Virginia soil. So, in 1952 he introduced a joint resolution in the Virginia Senate that proclaimed that the body of water created by Kerr Dam would "forever more" be known as Buggs Island Lake. It passed unanimously.
The Lake Today
Buggs Island Lake and the John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir draw visitors from all over the country for its beauty, wildlife, and, of course, recreation. Fishing is a tempting lure, often with a big payoff. In 2011, a father and son reeled in a 143-pound blue catfish, setting a record at that time for the largest catfish ever caught. Set up a fishing charter with Bigelow Guide Service or Buggs Island Guide Service and cast a line for large-mouth bass, striped bass (the only certified lake in Virginia to have a naturally reproducing population), crappie, catfish, and bluegill.
Launch a boat–be it motorboat, jet ski, kayak, or canoe–at one of many boat ramps available in the area parks. No boat? No problem. Rent a pontoon or kayak at Clarksville Marina and explore the lake from the water.
Waterfront campsites await at Occonochee State Park, North Bend Park and Longwood Park. If cabins, RVS, and tents aren’t your style, there’s no shortage of lake house vacation rentals in Clarksville and area hotels just a quick drive from the water.
Day trip for a hike and swim at one of the lake’s 30 recreation sites, including Liberty Hill Public Beach. Bonus: The free beach has a great view of the dam that made the lake possible.
While you’re in the area, whet your whistle off the lake. Belly up for a moonshine tasting at Bondurant Brothers in Chase City, tempt your palate at Three Sisters of Shiney Rock Winery, or order a flight of craft beer at the Buggs Island Brewing in Clarksville.
Buggs Island Lake. . .Kerr Lake. . . call it what you want. This impressive lake offers up a dam good time.