A data swamp occurs when a data lake, designed for raw data storage in its native format, grows without proper management and oversight. This leads to cluttered, irrelevant or low-quality data that's difficult to navigate, diminishing the value of the stored information. Key signs of a data swamp include inefficient data analysis, data quality issues, lack of data governance, unstructured and unorganized data storage, and poor metadata management. To prevent a data lake from turning into a swamp, businesses should implement strategies such as standardizing data formats, conducting regular data quality checks, and implementing a robust data governance framework.