Roanoke River, North Carolina

The lower Roanoke River floodplain contains the largest intact and least-disturbed bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem remaining in the mid-Atlantic region. The floodplain supports the full range of bottomland forest types; the middle section of the river is characterized by alluvial forests and large backswamps, while the lower section of the river contains vast tracts of bald cypress and water tupelo swamp forests.

Great blue heron © Robert Noonan

Ecological Importance: The Roanoke River bottomland hardwood ecosystem contains vast, unfragmented forests representing the full spectrum of plant communities associated with brownwater river systems in the southeastern United States. With 214 bird species, including 88 breeding species (44 of these being neotropical migrants), the Roanoke floodplain has the highest diversity of breeding birds in the North Carolina coastal plain.

Partners: A number of public and private groups have participated in the complex task of protecting significant natural areas along a 137-mile river corridor, including the Bertie and Martin County Commissioners, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Roanoke River Partners, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Plum Creek Timber Company, Weyerhaeuser Corporation, and International Paper.

Conservation Action: In 1989, the Conservancy purchased 10,626 acres in Bertie and Martin counties from Georgia-Pacific Corporation to create the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge and add land to the state-owned Roanoke River Wetlands. In 1994, Georgia-Pacific Corporation and the Conservancy entered into an agreement to jointly manage and protect approximately 21,000 acres on the Roanoke. To date, The Nature Conservancy has played a key role in protecting over 61,000 acres in the river floodplain, working in partnership with numerous agencies and individuals.

A system of three dams has a profound effect on the hydrological regime of the Roanoke, and the Conservancy is working with Dominion Generation, the Southeastern Power Administration, Progress Energy, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to find solutions to this problem.

Roanoke River Facts

• Size: 61,000 acres (Conservancy acres: 57,000 acres)
• Location: The coastal plain of northeastern North Carolina, in Bertie, Halifax, Martin, Northampton, and Washington counties
• Plant Species: wild hyacinth, trout lily, atamasco lily, fire pink, spring beauty, Virginia bluebells, pawpaw, spicebush, yellow buckeye, eastern wahoo
• Animal Species: The river supports 214 bird species, such as wood ducks, bald eagles, barred owls, great blue herons and cerulean warblers. Bottomland hardwood forests shelter wide-ranging mammals such as black bear and bobcat while the river supports an important fish community including striped bass, river herring, and hickory shad.

Roanoke River © The Nature Conservancy

How to Visit
Visitors to the river can hike, fish go birding, boating and hunting, in the appropriate places, Spring brings wildflowers, great fishing, and lots of birds. May is the best month for seeing nesting songbirds. Summer offers snakes, turtles, and all kinds of bugs. Fall is a great time for viewing migrating birds. Winter has no bugs, good views, and a lower water level for easier hiking. Canoeing and kayaking are the best ways to see this area and its wildlife.

There are public boat landings at the river crossings on US 258, downstream on US 17 at Williamston, and near the river mouth below Plymouth on NC 45. The Cashie River, Devil's Gut, Gardner Creek, and Conoho Creek offer great canoeing opportunities. SR 1417, Poplar Point Road, provides access to Conoho Creek. The main channel of the Roanoke River has a much stronger current than these streams.

When the river is not in flood stage, you can walk into Conine Island within the Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge. Heading north out of Williamston on US 13/17, there are two pullouts on the east side of the road where you can walk into Conine Island. At either of these pullouts, you can park and walk past a gate about 3/4 mile into the refuge. The roads are sometimes inaccessible because of seasonal flooding, so call the refuge office at (252) 794-3808 for the latest information about access.

For more information on the Roanoke River Canoe Trail, call Roanoke River Partners at (252) 794-2793.

Learn more about the Roanoke River.