Water Quality & Testing
Impassioned advocates working to ensure the continued beauty, integrity, safety and survival of Lake Glenville
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Alonso ©2026
Our Water Quality program is one of FLG’s key and most important elements of our mission. The program currently has three major parts:
Stream or In-Flow Testing
Water samples are periodically collected from our five major in-flows and sent to a lab for chemical and turbidity testing. The purpose is to monitor and evaluate the quality of water flowing into the lake. Clean water coming in to the lake should provide clean water in the lake.
The early years of stream testing were conducted using the macro-invertebrate methods. We have since switched to using sample collection and laboratory methods. Our data is referenced in the North Carolina State Little Tennessee Water Basin documentation.
Lake Water Testing
At the cornerstone of FLG’s mission to preserve and protect Lake Glenville is our work to monitor the lake’s water quality and implement the measures we can to ensure it remains one of the cleanest lakes in Western Carolina and is healthy and safe for all those who live, work, and play around it. Our partnership with Equinox Environmental allows us to do just that.
Historically, FLG has made water quality and the long-term health of Lake Glenville our primary purpose. To accomplish this, we rely heavily on regular testing of the lake and tributaries that feed into it. Over the years, our methods have evolved from dedicated individuals donating their time and expertise to outsourcing the scientific work for several years to Western Carolina University.
The onset of a global pandemic made it clear, however, that we needed a consistent and professionally managed strategy that would ensure this vital work could continue regardless of circumstance. In 2020, FLG was awarded a grant from Duke Energy to support and continue to improve FLG’s water testing program. That grant allowed us to establish a partnership with Equinox Environmental, an environmental consulting company focused on conservation and environmental responsibility. Equinox provides the consistency, expertise, and reliability we need to have a successful and on-going program.
Lake Turbidity
The purpose is to identify the sources of lake sedimentation and to attempt to quantify the turbidity contribution by each source. This work includes the identification of types and amounts of algae contributing to the lake turbidity. Secchi disk measurements are used to quantify the clarity of the lake waters. Once a year a secchi disk reading is reported to a national database.
How Can You Track the Results?
As part of that multifaceted partnership, Equinox performs testing and provides comprehensive reporting that helps educate our members and inform the local community regarding FLG’s work. These reports are made available to our membership and interested stakeholders by publishing them here on our website.
Water Quality Reports
Water Quality Reports of Lake Glenville are currently provided on a quarterly basis courtesy by Equniox Environmental. Other reporting is conducted by FLG members and volunteers.
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