Keeping Smith Mountain Lake Clean Starts in the Streams
The water flowing into Smith Mountain Lake tells an important story, and volunteers are helping write the next chapter.
On cool spring and fall mornings, Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) volunteers can be found standing knee-deep in creeks, carefully turning over rocks and examining what lives beneath the surface. Their work may look simple, but it plays a vital role in protecting the health of Smith Mountain Lake.
Through SMLA’s Save Our Streams (SOS) program, trained volunteers monitor the creeks and streams that feed the lake, providing critical insight into overall water quality. These tributaries carry water from both urban and rural landscapes into the Roanoke and Blackwater rivers, which together supply the lake. Understanding the health of these streams helps tell the story of the lake itself.
How Stream Health Is Measured
Stream monitoring is conducted twice a year and focuses on freshwater aquatic macroinvertebrates, small organisms that live on the stream bottom. Because different species have varying tolerance to pollution, their presence or absence offers a reliable snapshot of stream health.
Scores range from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating healthier conditions. Each site is sampled twice annually and averaged to account for seasonal variables such as weather, temperature and insect life cycles.
What the Latest Results Show
In Spring 2026, the results of SMLA Save our Streams monitoring for 21 streams in the Smith Mountain Lake show that 14 of the 21 streams received fully satisfactory ratings for water quality. The ratings are based on the populations of macroinvertebrates identified and counted between the beginning of March and the end of May.
Monitored streams in Virginia have achieved a pass rate of around 55% the last several years. The mark for SML streams of 67% again exceeds the state average, However, these numbers do lag the all-time best performance of 80% achieved last spring. Ratings are not likely to remain at a high level for the second half of the year if drought conditions persist.
Bringing Stream Science Into the Classroom
Beyond the streams, SOS volunteers spend significant time in classrooms, sharing their knowledge with students. Programs like Creek Week at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, exhibits at the Franklin County High School science fair and hands-on Lake Days with Bedford County schools introduce students to real-world environmental science and local waterways.
Students have the opportunity to see live macroinvertebrates, explore monitoring maps and learn how streams near their homes are scored, making the science personal and relevant.
What’s Next for Save Our Streams
As SML marks its 60th anniversary this year, SMLA is looking ahead to the next chapter of stewardship by expanding the Save Our Streams program. The goal is to train additional volunteers and add new monitoring sites along both the Roanoke and Blackwater river tributaries.
Six decades after the lake’s creation, ongoing stream monitoring remains one of the most effective ways to protect the water quality that defines life at Smith Mountain Lake.
To learn more about Save Our Streams or volunteer opportunities, contact sos@smlassociation.org.
