Virginia Tech Water Center Produces Study of SML Watershed
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE, VA – Funding received from the Commonwealth of Virginia has resulted in additional insight into the Smith Mountain Lake watershed. The Virginia Water Resources Research Center (Water Center) at Virginia Tech worked with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) to study conditions that may have led to harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the past and to list recommendations aimed at preventing potential occurrences in the future.
Data reviewed in the study did not indicate that HABs are a recurring issue at Smith Mountain Lake. However, researchers found that SML has the potential for HABs when conditions are favorable.
Dr. Daniel McLaughlin, associate director of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center and lead investigator of the study, said this study provides one of the most comprehensive looks to date at potential factors influencing blooms in Smith Mountain Lake. “By pulling together water quality records going back to the 1990s, satellite imagery, land-use change, and watershed modeling, we were able to give the community a clearer picture of what may drive blooms in the lake. Blooms aren’t a recurring problem right now, but warming water, nutrient inputs, and development around the shoreline are all trends worth watching. Steady monitoring and practical steps to cut nutrient runoff are the best insurance for the lake’s future.”
A major outcome of the study is the development of a SML Webtool to store and share data and analyses for the lake’s stakeholders. The tool includes an interactive map that allows users to explore data from DEQ monitoring sites, view chlorophyll levels across the lake, see total phosphorus data from Ferrum College tributary water quality monitoring sites, and observe land cover information for the watershed.
Keri Green, chair of the SMLA Lake Quality Council, says, “Before the Water Center produced this study, we had no overall picture of the conditions of the watershed that reflect in the water quality of Smith Mountain Lake. With the web tool and the deep dive into decades of data, we are now better equipped to focus on early warnings for HABs, having a clearer picture of the drivers of algae blooms here.”
Water Center team members will showcase their findings and the tool during the SML Annual Meeting on Thursday September 24 at Resurrection Church in Moneta. Doors open at 5:30 pm.
The Water Center’s team that put together the study of Smith Mountain Lake includes Daniel McLaughlin, associate director of the Center and associate professor in Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation (FREC); Yang Shao, associate professor in Geography; Jane Walker, research associate with the Center; and Kevin McGuire, director of the Center and professor in FREC. Input, data, guidance and assistance from the Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Ferrum College and SMLA were key to assembling the study.
About SMLA
The Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) mission is to keep Smith Mountain Lake clean and safe. Established in 1969, SMLA is the longest serving advocate for the SML community. Activities help to retain the pristine beauty of Smith Mountain Lake and the vibrant local economy. SMLA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) volunteer-led organization that relies on memberships, donations and grants to support programs that protect SML.
