The water quality of Smith Mountain Lake continues to be excellent. In fact, water quality so far this year is better than the recorded 20-year averages.
These results are from the Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) Water Quality Monitoring Program, which recently completed the fourth of six bi-weekly monitoring sessions. The latest weekly sample data as well as 20-year averages are posted on the SMLA website, smlassociation.org.
Key findings:
- Average water clarity at the 84 sites sampled was 2.35 meters, substantially better than the 20-year average of 2.08 meters.
- Average Chlorophyll-a concentration at the 56 sites sampled was 6.65 parts per billion, compared to the 20-year average of 7.30 ppb. Chlorophyll-a is an indicator of algae growth in the lake, so a lower number is more favorable.
- Average phosphorus concentration at the 56 sites sampled was 26.66 parts per billion, compared to the 20-year average of 27.52. Phosphorus is a polluting nutrient that can stimulate unwanted algae growth, so a lower number is more favorable.
“These findings for the lake as a whole provide a good indicator of the overall health of the lake,” according to SMLA Director of Water Quality Monitoring, Tom Hardy. “However, individual sections of the lake can vary considerably from the overall averages as the graphs posted on the SMLA website show.”…