The Roanoke River watershed is about 9,580 square miles, comprising about 16 percent of Virginia’s total land area. The headwaters of the Roanoke River are in Montgomery and Floyd counties, and the 400-mile-long river empties into the Albemarle Sound near Plymouth North Carolina.
An estimated 700,000 people live in the Roanoke River watershed, where land use is predominantly agricultural. About 60 percent of the watershed is forested, 30 percent is agricultural, and 10 percent is urban.
Several dams and impoundments are found with the Roanoke Basin, including Kerr Reservoir, the largest in the area, which was constructed for flood control and hydroelectric power. The Roanoke River is nationally known for its landlocked striped bass fishery, providing terrific recreational opportunities to the area. A Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries striped bass fish hatchery located on the river is an important source of striped bass fingerlings for stocking other waterways in Virginia and throughout the country.
The Roanoke River exceeds the state standard for coliform bacteria nearly throughout its entire length, and urban and agricultural runoff pollution are increasing in magnitude. PCB contamination also has been found in the river, resulting in health advisories for fish consumption in certain stretches of the waterway. Sediment, another type of nonpoint source pollution, is also a major concern in the basin.
Contact information:
DCR Roanoke Watershed Office
411 Boyd Street
Chase City, VA 23924
Phone: (434) 372-2101
Fax: (434) 372-4962
Learn more about community solutions in watersheds.
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