Big Laurel Creek

Marshall, North Carolina

Big Laurel Creek, downstream of the US 25/70 bridge in Madison County, has several "swimming holes" along a popular hiking trail. The section drops 200 feet in 3.7 miles, creating a series of class III and IV rapids that are prized by serious whitewater boaters. This trout stream flows into the French Broad River near Hot Springs, NC.

Water Quality
  • Meets water quality standards

  • Current Status
  • This status is based on the latest sample, taken on June 1st, 2023. MountainTrue French Broad Riverkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on June 1st, 2023 at 10:38 AM.
For water quality icon legend, click:  
Current Weather
17°C
Cloudy with a few clear breaks
Monitoring Frequency

Big Laurel Creek is sampled weekly from May 24th to August 30th.

Source Information

The French Broad Riverkeeper is a program of MountainTrue and a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance. Every week from the end of May to early September, French Broad Riverkeeper staff, interns, and volunteers monitor water quality at sites across the French Broad River Watershed. Weekly results are posted on Fridays so you know where it's safe to swim, fish, and paddle on your weekend adventures. Results will be communicated through the Swim Guide mobile app and website, as well as the French Broad Riverkeeper Facebook and Instagram pages.

There is currently no water quality standard for E. coli in North Carolina; however, in 2022 NC Department of Health and Human Services provided recommended primary and secondary recreational values for all recreational waters. 126 MPN/100 mL is being used to communicate whether an increased exposure risk may be present for primary recreational activities (swimming/snorkeling) and 886 MPN/100 mL for secondary recreational activities (kayaking, tubing, fishing) in Class B waters. A site will be marked red when the result exceeds the primary recreational value of 126 MPN/100 mL and green when the most recent sample value is 126 MPN/100 mL or below. All recreators should be aware results are preliminary and, while posted as soon as available, represent data that is a day old and should only be used as guidance when assessing exposure risk as bacteria levels can change at any time. The French Broad Riverkeeper utilizes the EPA-approved IDEXX method for collecting and analyzing water samples. Test results are expressed as Most Probable Number (MPN) of E. coli cfu (colony forming units) per 100 ml.

Read more
Water Quality Graph

Big Laurel Creek

Marshall, North Carolina

Water Quality
  • Meets water quality standards
  • Current Status
  • This status is based on the latest sample, taken on June 1st, 2023. MountainTrue French Broad Riverkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on June 1st, 2023 at 10:38 AM.
For water quality icon legend, click:  
Current Weather
17°C
Cloudy with a few clear breaks

Big Laurel Creek, downstream of the US 25/70 bridge in Madison County, has several "swimming holes" along a popular hiking trail. The section drops 200 feet in 3.7 miles, creating a series of class III and IV rapids that are prized by serious whitewater boaters. This trout stream flows into the French Broad River near Hot Springs, NC.

Monitoring Frequency

Big Laurel Creek is sampled weekly from May 24th to August 30th.

Source Information

The French Broad Riverkeeper is a program of MountainTrue and a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance. Every week from the end of May to early September, French Broad Riverkeeper staff, interns, and volunteers monitor water quality at sites across the French Broad River Watershed. Weekly results are posted on Fridays so you know where it's safe to swim, fish, and paddle on your weekend adventures. Results will be communicated through the Swim Guide mobile app and website, as well as the French Broad Riverkeeper Facebook and Instagram pages.

There is currently no water quality standard for E. coli in North Carolina; however, in 2022 NC Department of Health and Human Services provided recommended primary and secondary recreational values for all recreational waters. 126 MPN/100 mL is being used to communicate whether an increased exposure risk may be present for primary recreational activities (swimming/snorkeling) and 886 MPN/100 mL for secondary recreational activities (kayaking, tubing, fishing) in Class B waters. A site will be marked red when the result exceeds the primary recreational value of 126 MPN/100 mL and green when the most recent sample value is 126 MPN/100 mL or below. All recreators should be aware results are preliminary and, while posted as soon as available, represent data that is a day old and should only be used as guidance when assessing exposure risk as bacteria levels can change at any time. The French Broad Riverkeeper utilizes the EPA-approved IDEXX method for collecting and analyzing water samples. Test results are expressed as Most Probable Number (MPN) of E. coli cfu (colony forming units) per 100 ml.

Read more
Water Quality Graph

  Beach Location Water Quality
, North Carolina
Hot Springs, North Carolina
Hot Springs, North Carolina
Marshall, North Carolina
Swim Guide
is supported by
* The RBC Foundation

Swim Guide shares the best information we have at the moment you ask for it. Always obey signs at the beach or advisories from official government agencies. Stay alert and check for other swimming hazards such as dangerous currents and tides. Please report your pollution concerns so Affiliates can help keep other beach-goers safe.

Swim Guide, "Swim Drink Fish icons," and associated trademarks are owned by SWIM DRINK FISH CANADA. See Legal.

© SWIM DRINK FISH CANADA, 2011 - 2023