Running through central Bellingham to the heart of downtown, Whatcom Creek has a rich cultural and ecological history that showcases the importance of protecting natural resources and the effects that we can have on the environment around us. Beginning in nearby Lake Whatcom, this creek travels a little over 4 miles before entering Bellingham Bay, draining nearly 8 square miles of land.

Home to fall Chinook, coho, chum, pink, and sockeye, Whatcom Creek remains vital rearing and spawning habitat for local salmon populations. Development along the riparian areas of this creek makes it prone to low water quality levels caused by pollution and major events such as the 1999 Olympic Pipeline Explosion have had drastic impacts on the local ecosystems.

Schools within the Whatcom Creek watershed:

• Assumption Catholic

• Bellingham High

• Carl Cozier

• Explorations Academy