Smith Mountain Lake Boat Launch

Ferrum College, Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) and Appalachian Power invite you to attend the christening and launch of a new boat for the Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Monitoring Program. For more than 35 years, SMLA and Ferrum College have worked to monitor the water quality of Smith Mountain Lake. Each summer, Ferrum College faculty and students, along with SMLA volunteers, monitor the lake water for physical constituents, nutrients, bacteria and algal blooms. The samples are analyzed by scientists at Ferrum College, and the results are shared with SMLA, the public, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). With water quality continuing to be a top priority in and around Smith Mountain Lake, the new boat provides Ferrum College a safer and more reliable water vessel to continue its education program to ensure quality testing and recording on Smith Mountain Lake. Appalachian Power and the AEP Foundation were instrumental in the purchase of the new boat providing an $80,000 Foundation grant. The christening of the new boat is part of SMLA’s “A Day at the Lake,” a free, interactive, and fun-filled day dedicated to protecting the water of Smith Mountain Lake and promoting safe recreation.