Forgotten Creek sits in the top corner of a current Bothell WA park named the former Wayne Golf Course. The stream lays right outside of a private home site and is downstream of the 522 freeway and the Burke-Gilman Trail. The stream appears to be man-made to help with previous drainage issues and ground water from the top of the hill. The stream leads into a large hole that also has a corrugated pipe that fills in additional water. The water from the hole moves downstream through an underground concrete pipe that leads directly into the Sammamish River.

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• Water pollution is a major issue as this small tributary receives polluted runoff from Bothell Way.
• Dissolved oxygen in Forgotten Creek is typically well below below healthy standards. Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen. More trees and shade and healthy riparian zones can help ensure cooler water with better dissolved oxygen levels.
• Water temperature is usually cool enough for aquatic life.
• Bacteria levels are typically above and outside of safe contact levels.
• pH is sometimes lower than optimal (6.5 – 8) for life in the stream.
• Alkalinity, and hardness tests were mostly within a standard range during this sampling time period. Readings out of the normal range might indicate water pollution or contamination.
• Turbidity has been within normal levels.

Forgotten Creek Water Watchers

Forgotten Creek is monitored by members of Whale Scout, and is on the site of a restoration project by Whale Scout on the former Wayne Golf Course in Bothell.

Rachel is a 2020 college graduate from George Fox University with a bachelors in biology and animal sciences. She is the Student Mentor and Community Education Coordinator with Whale Scout and has been working with them for 2 years. She got certified through Sno-King Watershed Council during her time as an intern with Whale Scout and has been monitoring this creek for over a year now. They discovered this creek while removing invasive blackberry and wanted to see the effects of habitat restoration on this body of water. It has a direct effect on the quality of the Sammamish River and the marine life that lives there so tracking its change is important. Seeing if native plantings and canopy coverage can make an impact on this creek is the ultimate goal through monitoring the site

Rachel Kutz

Whale Scout Student Mentor and Community Education Coordinator.

Whale Scout interns

Rachel leads a team of interns with Whale Scout that monitor physical and chemical variables along with bacteria.

Whale Scout interns

Rachel leads a team of interns with Whale Scout that monitor physical and chemical variables along with bacteria.

Major support for our program comes from the King County Wastewater Treatment Division Waterworks grant program. Additional support is provided by the Cascade Water Alliance.