Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk was a part of the United States Navy reserve fleets, also called a mothball fleet, and was used to store the many surplus ships after World War II.

The reserve fleet was stored in the freshwater of the Elizabeth River, Southern Branch near the Jordan Bridge.

The freshwater was good for long-term storage for ships.

[5][6][7][8] South Gate Annex Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) is at the former Atlantic Reserve Fleet site.

The South Gate Annex Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility is used as temporary storage of inactivated nuclear-powered ships, with the fuel removed.