Partnerships -- Water Management Committee

Terry Brown, Water Control Manager with the Wilmington District, presents drought conditions at one of the drought management meetings.

Col. Ray Alexander, District Engineer with the Wilmington District, briefs the drought management group at a recent meeting.

Lake: John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir, VA; B Everett Jordan Dam and Lake, VA; W Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir, VA

Partners: USACE; State and Federal recreation, water resource, water quality and fishery personnel; U.S. Geological Survey; Southeastern Power Administration

Partnership Type: Close stakeholder involvement

Corps POC: Terry M. Brown, Water Control Manager, Wilmington District

Story: In 2001, the Wilmington District’s Water Management staff began monthly meetings and weekly conference calls with both upstream and downstream stakeholders in response to ongoing severe drought conditions. Attendees at both the meetings and conference calls were upstream and downstream State and Federal recreation, water resource, water quality and fishery personnel, U.S. Geological Survey, Southeastern Power Administration, industrial, municipal, river basin associations, and the public. The meetings and conference calls succeeded in offsetting the severe drought conditions and ensured that the reservoir projects within the Wilmington District continued to meet all project purposes by small sacrifices and close cooperation by all stakeholders. A very positive side benefit of the meetings and conference calls was that all of the upstream and downstream stakeholders got to know each other personally and became acutely aware of each others’ concerns, needs, and impacts if the drought conditions were not adequately and positively handled. At the end of the drought conditions at the end of 2002, stakeholders requested that the meetings and calls continue and they have been very positive and productive communication and brainstorming tools during the recent severe flooding in the Roanoke River basin. Another side benefit will be to the John H. Kerr Section 216 Study, as most of the organizations and personnel contributing to the study are the same personnel in the water management committee.