Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has now signed Senate Bill 972 into law, which allows state and local agencies to refer to Buggs Island Lake as “Kerr Lake” or the “John H. Kerr Reservoir.”
Legislation passed in 1952 required state and local agencies to refer to the reservoir only as “Buggs Island Lake,” which was declared to be the reservoir’s “true and proper name.” Congress had originally given it the name of “Buggs Island Reservoir” in 1944 but abruptly changed the name to the “John H. Kerr Reservoir” in 1951 to honor a North Carolina congressman, angering Virginia lawmakers at the time. The majority of Buggs Island Lake is located in Virginia. Continue reading Governor Signs Bill Allowing Alternate Names for Buggs Island Lake