Little Swamp Creek is a small but important urban creek that runs from Bothell through Kenmore. It originates in Snohomish county around 228th St SE and 3rd Ave SE and flows into Swamp Creek in the large Swamp Creek wetlands in Kenmore. Little Swamp Creek once supported salmon runs but they are infrequently seen now. It still serves as important habitat and a wildlife corridor for a wide variety of animals in the stream and surrounding buffer. Sno-King Water Watchers have two monitoring sites, one north near the headwaters and one south near the lower end.

View all monitoring results >>

• Stream temperatures are usually at safe levels for fish but sometimes get too warm in summer months.
• Dissolved oxygen in Little Swamp Creek often dips 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.
• Bacteria levels are usually safe for recreational contact though there are intermittent periods of high bacteria (unsafe) counts.
• pH, 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 fluctuates throughout the monitoring period with a few highly turbid periods, likely associated with rainfall or storms.

Little Swamp Creek Water Watchers

This is the team of people working to monitor Little Swamp Creek! They have been monitoring Little Swamp Creek monthly since 2015.

Staci Adman

Water Watcher and a member of the Sno-King Watershed Council.

Eric Adman

Water Watcher and President of the Sno-King Watershed Council.

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.