The Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program (SMLWQMP), administered by scientists from Ferrum College in collaboration with the Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA), is celebrating its thirty-sixth anniversary this year. Initiated in 1987, the program has functioned each year to monitor the water quality in Smith Mountain Lake and to encourage active participation of the lake community in protecting this resource.

Each summer, Ferrum College faculty, students, and SMLA representatives and volunteers monitor the lake water for nutrients, bacteria, and algal blooms. Stakeholders and local health departments use collected data to inform the community of any concerns.

Ferrum College Professor of Environmental Science and Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Monitoring Program Director Delia Heck has been an integral part of the program for 17 years. “For me, the SMLWQMP is an excellent example of the synergy possible between academia, citizen scientists, government agencies, industry, and regional advocacy groups to ensure the viability of our water resources. Ferrum College faculty, staff, and students work closely with the Smith Mountain Lake Association and its members on a weekly basis to run the program. This work wouldn’t be possible without the support of Appalachian Power Company, Bedford County Regional Water Authority, Smith Mountain Lake Association, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and Western Virginia Water Authority.”

“I am the intern responsible for the total phosphorus portion of the water quality project,” said student intern and Ferrum College senior Emma Brubaker. “I love this project. Working under and learning from these professors has already been one of the best experiences I’ve had. I can’t wait to see everything I learn this summer while doing something I love.”

Ferrum College senior and student intern Shane Hernandez’s family visited Smith Mountain Lake long before he was ever born. He has many wonderful memories of the lake and feels great to be able to do something for the lake and the community. “My job is to collect, analyze, and identify algae samples. While it is not the most entertaining job, I still find a great amount of satisfaction knowing that I am helping the community. It is awesome to learn more about the lake I have spent most of my life on.”

“I’m one of the main leaders on bacteria sampling and analysis,” said student intern and Ferrum College junior René Settle. “I am very excited about what I’ve learned here so far. I especially love being out on the lake and on the boat, even if I do get a sunburn. It’s so fun to be able to see the data come in and understand the reason behind the numbers.”

Faculty Emeritus of Biology and Agriculture Bob Pohlad has been involved in the program from the early days as a support person. He became directly involved in harmful algal bloom and invasive weed identification in 2007 as the need arose for expertise in this area. Pohlad was married to the late Ferrum College Faculty Emerita of Environmental Science and Smith Mountain Lake advocate Carolyn Thomas. Thomas, who passed away in 2020, was one of the original scientists, together with Ferrum College Faculty Emeritus David Johnson, who founded the Smith Mountain Lake Association’s Water Quality Monitoring Program. Involved in the program from the beginning until her death, Thomas worked closely with Ferrum College students analyzing water samples.

Pohlad noted he was fortunate to be able to work side-by-side for over forty years with Thomas at Ferrum College doing what they both loved, teaching and sharing knowledge and passion for nature with others. “Carolyn found an ideal place to study lakes when we came to Ferrum in 1978 where we lived between Smith Mountain Lake on one end of Franklin County and Philpott Lake on the other. Her passion for sharing this interest with others manifested itself in her teaching and outreach to community groups. She always was willing to share her research results at local, regional, and national meetings to promote stewardship and care of the environment. Her passion for caring for the environment was her driving force right up until she passed away in 2020.”

Ferrum College recently announced the endowment of the Carolyn L. Thomas Memorial Fund, which will provide critical support to the College’s natural science programs. Established in memory of Thomas, the fund will primarily support experiential learning projects for students in environmental science, agriculture, and biology. Pohlad stated, “The endowed Memorial Fund in her name supports the experiential learning that she felt so passionate about both through class trips we took and students who worked with us over the years on the Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Project. I am so appreciative of all of those who donated to honor her and her legacy of helping others. She truly was a Not Self, But Others person throughout her life.”

To view additional photos of the Smith Mountain Lake Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program, click here.

To learn more about the Carolyn L. Thomas Memorial Fund, click here.

In fall 2019, Litton received the Distinguished Member award from Nimrod Hall Hunt Club, of which he had been a member for years. In this photo, he stands proudly with his sons Jason (on Litton’s right) and Sean (on his left). John Payne photo.

On June 6, 2020, at the age of 80, former Ferrum College Professor of Biology Sam Litton passed away. 

Litton played high school football at Andrew Lewis High School and then enrolled in Elon College where he earned his bachelors degree. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a corpsman and completed a tour in Vietnam as a medic while serving in the Marines. After discharging from the military, Litton earned his Master of Science in biology from Appalachian State University, and then received his doctorate from the University of Virginia. He married Joan in 1972 and began teaching biology at Ferrum College shortly afterward.

Litton, Joan, and their sons Sean and Jason, spent much of their time traveling all over the United States and Canada. They took students on field trips as near as the Virginia mountains, and as far as the Virgin Islands. 

“He was hunting in this photo, yes. But he was also teaching,” said John Payne, Litton’s former mentee. “He never stopped teaching.”
John Payne photo.

Litton’s friends and colleagues remember him as a professor who created real bonds with his students. “Sam was gifted at connecting with his students. He took them under his wing and mentored them, not just with academics, but with non-academic issues, also,” said former Ferrum College Professor of Biology Ron Stephens. “To describe him as a ‘father-figure’ isn’t enough. He served as a true friend they could trust.”

Litton freely gave his knowledge and time. In 1979, a Ferrum College student wanted to set up a volunteer firefighting organization at the College. Litton worked with the Forest Service and Virginia Department of Forestry to make the student’s vision come true, and more than 50 Ferrum students were trained. That summer, the Ferrum College organization earned outstanding performance ratings when they helped suppress the 6,000 acre Otay Fire in southern California.

He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. “I always respected and admired his love and knowledge of all things in nature,” said retired Professor of Biology and Horticulture Bob Pohlad. “Sam got the students outside a lot. He enjoyed working with them and helped so many of the students that could relate to his wildlife interests.”

“He particularly liked quail hunting and always had a bird dog or two. We knew every quail covey in the Ferrum area,” remembered Stephens, who used to hunt with Litton.

During his time at Ferrum College, Litton served as president of both the Ferrum Lions Club and the Rocky Mount Rotary Club. After retiring, Litton and Joan moved to Smith Mountain Lake where they entered the real estate business. Litton continued to find daily joy in teaching and learning. 

“I am absolutely blessed that my path crossed with Sam’s,” said Litton’s former mentee John Payne, a 1985 Ferrum College graduate. “He was my advisor then and had a real effect on my life. We were friends for close to 40 years. He was truly a passionate teacher. He was the epitome of ‘Not Self, But Others’.”

Read Litton’s obituary here.

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Litton is survived by his wife of 48 years Joan, and his sons Sean and Jason. The family has requested that memorials be made to Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church, 65 Rock Ridge Road, Callaway, VA 24067; to Ferrum College, 215 Ferrum Mountain Road, Ferrum, VA 24088; or to Southern Virginia Child Advocacy Center, 300 South Main Street, Rocky Mount, VA 24151.