On May 2, Governor Youngkin announced a new state budget that includes $250,000 for enhanced testing of Smith Mountain Lake and other inland waterways in Virginia.
This funding will allow the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to collaborate with the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to sample, test, and monitor these waterways for harmful algal blooms (HABs).
The Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) and the Lake Anna Civic Association advocated for this budget amendment “to help protect Virginia’s freshwater lakes and rivers,” they said in their release.
Previously, the DEQ had to rely on other budget sources for testing, but this dedicated funding will expedite responses when potential harmful algal blooms are reported.
“We thank Delegate Bulova, Senator Peake, Senator Reeves, and Senator Stuart for sponsoring the amendments,” said John Vidovich, SMLA President. “SMLA appreciates the continued support from Governor Youngkin and the General Assembly in keeping Smith Mountain Lake clean and safe.”
The water quality monitoring season kicks off today with a meeting for all participants. Over 50 SMLA volunteers will team up with seven environmental scientists and three student interns from Ferrum College to collect water samples and measure water quality at 84 locations on the lake throughout the summer, according to the Smith Mountain Lake Association website.
Meeting attendees will receive their monitoring supplies and training for both new and returning volunteers.
This funding comes one year after the General Assembly approved a $150,000 budget amendment for the DEQ’s testing of HABs at Smith Mountain Lake, an ongoing project in collaboration with Virginia Tech and SMLA.
This marks the SMLA’s 39th consecutive year of monitoring water quality at Smith Mountain Lake. As a volunteer-led organization, SMLA relies on state funding to conduct essential research and monitoring to understand and prevent harmful algal blooms.
For more details on Governor Youngkin’s announcement regarding the new state budget, visit here.
