Smith Mountain Lake Property Owner,

Being a property owner here on the lake, you already know that this beautiful Jewel of the Blue Ridge has much to offer. In fact, it was recently voted one of the best eight lakes in our nation to visit. The Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) hopes that you find as much enjoyment here as we have, whether you reside here or spend your weekends and vacations on the lake.

As you finish your spring cleaning and preparation for the coming lake season, you probably have a checklist of tasks you are working through to protect your waterfront investment including double checking your insurance and making plans for maintenance of your home and property to ensure it is safe and protected. But what about the lake—the main draw to this location? What are you doing to make sure it is safe and protected?

Studies show that water quality directly impacts lake property values and that poor water quality and unsafe boating and water sports practices can adversely impact the recreational value of a lake. In turn, these issues diminish home values. Being passive on these issues is not likely to prevent them from happening. What can you do to help ensure our lake stays clean and safe—both now and into the future?

As you complete your spring-cleaning checklist, we recommend you add one other item to protect your waterfront investment: “Join the Smith Mountain Lake Association!” We are a Virginia non-profit organization with a simple and unique mission; to protect the water of Smith Mountain Lake and promote safe recreation. Membership in SMLA is your best and easiest opportunity to ensure that the lake you know and love will continue to be environmentally preserved, safe in all recreational activities, and a legacy that you can pass on to your kids and grandkids. It is the best and cheapest “insurance” you can buy to maintain your property value by helping to preserve our treasured lake.

Numerous SMLA membership benefits include:

• A quarterly newsletter highlighting our activities to keep the lake clean and safe;
• An informative website, social media, and neighbor-centered groups highlighting current issues impacting the lake;
• A Smith Mountain Lake map (chart) annotated with GPS grid, underwater structures, facility listings, marinas, fishing areas, boat ramps, and much more, available for purchase in our office, from our website and at many local marinas;
• A brochure Protecting Your Waterfront Investment—10 Simple Shoreland Stewardship Practices brochure which describes simple steps you can take to reduce pollutants, slow the flow of runoff, and capture and clean potential runoff; and
• Reporting tools to take an active role as lake stewards by reporting floating debris, accidents, wake incidents, abandoned boats, and algae blooms.

Your membership will support two initiatives we are currently pursuing to protect the water of our lake. They are:

• Remote electronic sensors to monitor water quality. These would supplement our already extensive citizen volunteer water quality monitoring program that occurs throughout the summer by extending our monitoring capabilities to all seasons; and
• Buffer Landscape Demonstration Projects. We are working with local master gardeners and master naturalists, along with local landscapers, to develop demonstration gardens that slow the flow of runoff and remove pollutants—protecting water quality and adding to the value of lakefront property.

For over 50 years our SMLA has worked with other lake stakeholders to give us the lake that we have today, but there are numerous stressors that are continuously challenging our clean water and safe recreation of the lake. Just as you don’t buy insurance after a fire, don’t wait until our lake is in jeopardy before you get involved. Join us today!

Membership and charitable donations support the good work of SMLA, so we need your help to continue our mission to protect the water of Smith Mountain Lake and promote safe recreation. Please visit our website at www.smlassociation.org for more information on the work that SMLA performs or how you can support our continued efforts. It is our best and most efficient insurance for maintaining our property values and preserving our treasure—The Jewel of the Blue Ridge.

To join the Smith Mountain Lake Association, visit our website at www.smlassociation.org. You can contact our office at TheOffice@SMLAssociation.org or call 540-719-0690 and please Like Us if you have a Facebook account.

Help us preserve the Jewel of the Blue Ridge! SMLA looks forward to serving you.

The SMLA Membership Committee

Bill Butterfield, President

Mike, Streff, Vice President

Gale Easter, Chair

Take Pride in Smith Mountain Lake 2022

Organizers of Take Pride in Smith Mountain Lake announced today details of SML’s annual cleanup initiative for 2022.

“Last year, we organized a modified version of Take Pride in SML due pandemic restrictions, and the Smith Mountain Lake community really embraced it,” said Andy Bruns, Executive Director of the SML Regional Chamber of Commerce (SMLRCC), which organizes the event in conjunction with the Tri-County Lakes Administrative Commission (TLAC) and the Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA). 

“We’re hoping to gain even more momentum for this critical community initiative this year,” he added. “We all want the lake looking its best before the tourism season begins, so we’re encouraging everyone who uses and enjoys the lake to take a few hours and volunteer.”

In lieu of scheduling several large events, the TPISML oversight committee is asking volunteers to plan their own smaller events to clean up coves, along the shoreline or on the water any time in May. This includes neighborhood groups, homeowners/property owners associations, civic organizations, families and individuals. EPORT THIS AD

Bruns said TPISML will continue to provide volunteers with free heavy-duty trash bags and gloves, as well as offer up to $400 in reimbursement for groups that utilize commercial dumpsters for their events. Each volunteer also will receive a complimentary waterproof cell phone bag.

“We’re able to provide the materials and the thank you gift because of the continued generosity of our sponsors,” Bruns said. “We couldn’t do it without them.”

SMLA President Bill Butterfield said nearly 200 volunteers participated in Take Pride in SML last year.

“The hybrid approach worked well, in part because groups and individuals were able to pick any day in May that worked best for their schedules,” he said. “Volunteers collected approximately 16 tons of debris, including scores of plastic bottles and aluminum cans, plastic bags, tires and, of course, natural debris such as tree branches and logs.”

Registration is required for volunteers to receive free gloves, orange trash bags and a commemorative gift. Click on the link:  Pre-registration to register. 

SMLA Holds Annual Membership Meeting Webinar

The Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) held its annual membership meeting via Zoom Webinar on Thursday, September 23rd. The agenda provided a good overview of SMLA efforts to protect the water of SML and promote safe and responsible recreation. Delegate Kathy Byron provided the Keynote address for the event. Members also learned the results from the 2021 Water Quality Program as presented by Dr. Delia Heck from Ferrum College. Tom Merriman won the Karl Martin Safety award, Dave and Cindy Cappillari, and Tiffany and Bruno Silva won the Spirit of the Lake awards, and Lorie Smith and Dr. Bob Pohlad were selected for the Melvin S Johnston award. For those that wish to review or share the recent SMLA Annual Membership Meeting webinar, please click this link: https://youtu.be/dN-73D8UTaM

2021 Water Quality Monitoring Report Now Available!

Protecting Your Waterfront Investment – SMLA Brochure 2021

As a member of the Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA), we want to share with you the great work being accomplished by the volunteers who support SMLA’s mission–To protect the water of Smith Mountain Lake and promote safe recreation.

One of our goals for 2021 is to grow our membership because SMLA members make our initiatives a reality via both their financial support and volunteerism. Our strategy is to make members and non-members aware of WHAT we do and WHY we do it.

The enclosed brochure is designed to address the WHY of what we do by providing information about appropriate watershed management – specific to the Smith Mountain Lake watershed. Let’s remember that clean, clear, safe water is a responsibility—not an automatic right. In fact, we don’t have to travel far to see lakes experiencing very troubling issues associated with improper watershed management.

Take a minute and review the brochure and let SMLA know what you think.

Please remember that membership and charitable donations support the good work of SMLA, and we appreciate your support as a member. If you think that your friends and neighbors would appreciate it, please share as the work of SMLA is our best and most efficient insurance for maintaining our property values and preserving our treasure – The Jewel of the Blue Ridge. 

SMLA Newsletter “Lake Matters: Spring 2022” Published

Safety Notes from SML Water Safety Council

Protect Your Children  –  Child Safety While Boating

By Neil Harrington, SML Water Safety Council

Boating at SML is a great family activity. Towing the children around on a tube, beaching the boat for an afternoon picnic or pulling into the guest docks at one of the local waterfront restaurants–all make for a fun day on the lake.  Keeping children safe while boating is your responsibility. Here are a few things to consider:

All children—even confident swimmers–should wear a properly fitted PFD anytime they are around the water, whether they are playing on the dock or riding in the boat. Don’t give in to the, “But I know how to swim!” plea.  The lake environment is all-together different than the neighborhood pool with lifeguards and crystal clear water.

All passengers, especially children, should be seated while the boat is in operation and remain seated until the Captain tells them it is ok to get up.  Sudden changes in direction or getting hit by a wake can easily eject a child from the boat or bang them against a fixed object.

Children are fascinated with water running under the bow of a boat. They want to watch it and may even reach down to touch it.  However, never allow children to hang over the bow or dangle their feet over the bow of a moving boat.  A child falling from the bow of a moving boat will be struck by the prop before the Captain has any time to take evasive action.  It only takes a second.

Approaching and departing docks is a busy time for the Captain and the crew. Teach your children the importance of remaining seated while the Captain and designated crew take care of docking activities.  Children can easily fall overboard because of sudden changes in direction.  And never allow children to jump to the dock from a boat until it is safely secured.

When towing children in a tube, keep your speed down and make adjustments as necessary.  Tubes have a tendency to “sling shot” through turns and bounce uncontrollably going over wakes. Childrens’ heads can easily bang together, resulting in concussions or other serious injuries.

Boating is a fun family activity.  Keep your children safe and enjoy boating here at Smith Mountain Lake.