ERDC EL develops assessment model for the John H. Kerr Dam Project

Published Jan. 11, 2013
An aerial view of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ John H. Kerr Dam and Lake.

An aerial view of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ John H. Kerr Dam and Lake.

Jan. 11, 2013

Contact
Public Affairs Office
601-634-3188

BOYDTON, Va.--ERDC Environmental Laboratory (EL) researchers have developed a model that assesses alternative scenarios for the John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir recently approved by the Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (HQUSACE) Model Certification Team. 

The HQUSACE model certification team approved the Lower Roanoke River Riparian Habitat Integrity Model for single use by Wilmington District on the John H. Kerr Dam 216 Project. 

The model, developed by EL’s Tim Wilder, Candice Piercy and Todd Swannack, assessed alternative operation scenarios of the John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir on the bottomland hardwood ecosystem of the lower Roanoke River basin. 

Models developed by USACE for use in planning studies must be certified or approved to ensure that they are technically and theoretically sound and are compliant with policy (EC 1105-2-412) in a process coordinated by the National Ecosystem Planning Center of Expertise (ECO-PCX).

The policy includes development of a model review plan, peer review of the model, model revisions with additional reviews if necessary, and submission of the final model to HQUSACE for approval. 

The Roanoke Habitat Integrity Model was subjected to an independent, external peer review during this process, resulting in an ECO-PCX recommendation for approval without modification.

The model approval was characterized by the Wilmington District sponsor as "A major milestone and a good reflection on the quality of your work."