Valley Water Watcher program aims to prevent summer drownings

Published 8:00 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Summer is here, and for sun-starved families in the Pacific Northwest that means flocking to local beaches. In the Snoqualmie Valley, we have an abundance of parks along our rivers from Duvall to North Bend, as well as nearby lakes.

Unfortunately, rivers and lakes can be dangerous. Drownings are a frequent occurrence on our local waters, and in fact have steadily increased both locally and nationally over the past several years. And here’s another sobering statistic: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4, and the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for kids ages 5-14.

The good news is that these tragedies can largely be prevented. A program called the Water Watcher Tag program can help keep kids safe around the water. Here’s how it works.

An adult with children near water (including pools) is identified as the Water Watcher, and wears a tag on a lanyard stating “Water Watcher on Duty.” As the designated Water Watcher, the adult agrees to take these steps, listed on back of the badge:

• Avoid socializing, texting or talking on the phone.
• Regularly scan the water area, including the bottom if visible.
• Check the water first if a child is missing.
• Know the address of this location.
• Call 911 and administer CPR if necessary.
• Never leave children unattended unless someone else is holding a Water Watcher badge.

The Water Watcher Program is administered locally by Valley Pool Together (valleypooltogether.com), an organization promoting water safety and supporting discussion on a new regional pool in the Snoqualmie Valley.

“A Water Watcher Tag is a simple, proven tool that clearly identifies the adult responsible for supervising children near water, outlines that adult’s responsibilities and safety guidelines and makes it easy to transfer responsibility when supervision shifts,” says Kate Moscato Leen, the organization’s president.

Another statistic highlights the importance of adult supervision near the water, Leen says.

“Most sobering is the fact that 88% of children who drown had at least one adult present,” she says. “These tragedies are preventable, and you can help.”

Valley Pool Together applied for, and received, a $1,500 grant from King County Local Services to conduct the water-safety campaign. The grant paid for 1,000 Water Watcher tags with lanyards that are available for free for any interested adult.

You can pick yours up at these locations:

In North Bend at City Hall, Si View Pool and the SnoValley Chamber of Commerce office, 128 W. Second St.

In Snoqualmie at City Hall and Snoqualmie Fire Station.

More information on the program is available on the Valley Pool Together website.

Watch for the organization’s information booth at local summer festivals.