Shchuchik, Rostislav

ENVS 101

10/26/24

Swamp Creek Watershed

The Swamp Creek Watershed lies in Washington State and is an important zone in terms

of water drainage, wildlife habitat, and community recreation. This watershed is important for

maintaining the health of the local ecosystem, as its drained waters eventually make their way

into larger water bodies like Lake Washington. This essay discusses its landscape, the various

sources of pollution, the health of the watershed, and possible management strategies that could

be employed to improve its ecological integrity and community well-being.

It includes about 37 square miles passing through Everett, Lynwood, Bothel, Brier, and

Kenmore. It has a great deal of varied landscapes such as the urban area, agriculture, forests,

wetlands, and streams. It literally runs along the Lynwood mall. The landscape is marked by

rolling hills and valleys that contribute to the hydrology of the watershed. Wetlands serve as a

natural filtration system for the watershed, allowing for higher quality water through the trapping

of sediments and nutrients before they enter Swamp Creek. Forested areas provide habitat for

wildlife, including a number of bird species, mammals, and aquatic life, adding biodiversity to

the region.

However, the watershed is tremendously altered because of strong urbanization and agricultural

development. Residential and commercial expansion creates habitat fragmentation and upsets

local wildlife populations through suffering and pressure. Increased impervious surfaces via
roads and buildings have led to increased runoff and degraded water quality. The creek through

the swamp parallels the roadways and receives runoff from the Costco parking lots.

The Swamp Creek Watershed has a great deal of history intertwined with indigenous

communities that first peopled this area. It has provided a place of subsistence and cultural

identification within these communities for food, water, and traditional practices. Today, the

watershed offers recreational opportunities that foster a connection to nature, such as hiking,

fishing, and birdwatching. It has a lot of good lakes.

As urbanization continues, so too has the transition of how local communities interact over the

use of the watershed. The expansion of residential neighborhoods and commercial developments

inherently places an increased pressure on natural resources. The balancing act remains in

maintaining the cultural heritage associated with the watershed and fostering appropriate

sustainable development practices that protect the ecological health of the watershed (King

County). Community-based conservation practices can restore this connection and foster

stewardship, as well as serve as an advocate for protection of the watershed.

Pollution in the Swamp Creek Watershed originates from several different sources; the largest

contributors are from urban runoff, agriculture, and industry. This often leads to increased runoff

in urban areas when it rains, carrying heavy metals, oils, and nutrients from impervious surfaces

into the watershed. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, for

example, urban runoff is one of the major contributors to degraded water quality in many

watersheds in the country as a whole. In the case of intense storms, runoff exceeds the capacity

of the drainage system and leads to untreated stormwater discharges directly to Swamp Creek.
Other different challenges are brought about by agricultural runoff. Fertilizers, pesticides, and

sediments from farmland can enter the watershed. Not only fertilizers from farmland but

residential areas because it mostly runs really close near homes. These chemicals contribute

further to the eutrophication of receiving waters; also, algal blooms consume oxygen in the water

and produce harmful effects on aquatic life. These impacts could be reduced by best management

practices in agriculture, including buffer strips and cover crops.

Industrial activities in this watershed introduce dangerous pollutants, such as heavy metals and

chemical contaminants, into the water supply. The Environmental Protection Agency's “How's

My Waterway” tool listed many pollutants that are impairing Swamp Creek and requiring

immediate actions for restoration. For the health of the watershed—and the communities who

depend on its water—to be assured, these sources of pollution need to be addressed. There is a

freshwater spring that originates right next to Swamp Creek and is used daily. If we do not keep

it clean, thousands of people will be harmed.

The health of the Swamp Creek Watershed remains undesirable. In general, monitoring data

indicate that water quality within the watershed fails to attain the state standards. Key indicators

of the health of an aquatic ecosystem include dissolved oxygen levels, temperature, and pollutant

concentrations, which show that it is in stress. Aquatic biodiversity ranges from fish populations

to the larger macroinvertebrates, which has also been adversely affected, hence affecting the food

web and ecological balance within the watershed. For example, salmon populations in the river

have decreased significantly, though restoration efforts are beginning to have an effect

("PacificNWseasons").

It will also be important to continue water quality and habitat monitoring to understand how

watershed health is changing with time, and how it can be improved. Local communities can be
brought into these efforts to build awareness of watershed issues, encourage stewardship and

ownership of those issues, and promote proactive measures to protect and restore the health of a

watershed.

Improving watershed health has found one of those effective approaches in the implementation

of Green Infrastructure. Techniques will include rain gardens, permeable pavements, and

bioswales and tend to reduce runoff while allowing filtration before water reaches any body of

water. These methods also enhance the natural hydrology of the watershed and provide many

green spaces that may be enjoyed by people in the community.

Community education through the establishment of watershed citizenship is important in

instilling a sense of responsibility. This may be in the form of workshops, information

campaigns, or other forms of volunteer opportunities that involve residents in protecting the

watershed. In relation to the promotion of sustainable practices, subjects can range from how to

dispose of hazardous materials properly to gardening tips using minimal chemicals for better

water quality.

Each of these challenges within the Swamp Creek Watershed requires the cooperation of local

governments, environmental organizations, and the community. Public advocacy creates policy

changes in the protection of water quality, habitat restoration, and sustainable land use. These

partnerships also help with funding for specific restoration projects and community engagement

in the process.

In the end, the Swamp Creek Watershed is an entity dear in ecological and recreational value to

the community surrounding it. However, it must come to terms with the problem that always

accompanies civilization: pollution and changes in land use. A deeper understanding of the
landscape, cultural impacts, and sources of pollution can enable residents to take positive action

toward ensuring watershed health. It goes to underscore that any meaningful effort to regulate

pollution and preserve this basic natural resource for future generations will be a collective effort

of the local government, organizations, and the community.

Works Cited

Environmental Protection Agency. How's My Waterway: Swamp Creek. 2024,

mywaterway.epa.gov/.

King County. Swamp Creek Watershed Report. 2021, www.kingcounty.gov/.

United States Geological Survey. Swamp Creek Watershed Map and Data. 2022,

apps.nationalmap.gov/viewer/.

"Saving Wild Salmon: A Return to Swamp Creek." Pacific Northwest Seasons, 2016,

pacificnwseasons.blogspot.com/2016/06/saving-wild-salmon-return-to-swamp-creek.html.