Free Swim Passes
"Swim and Play Pass Program" encourages youth to avoid Albuquerque's deadly ditches.
Dive Into Reading Summer Book Club
Read five books and earn a free day pass to any City Pool! (Children 14 and under). Print out the form and list the titles of each book and redeem at any City Pool between May 23 and August 1, 2026!
Each completed form will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $40 swim lesson credit!
One completed form is good for a single swim admission for a single session. Drawings held weekly.The form is available in both Spanish and English. Please email [email protected] or call 505-768-5368 with any questions.
Aquatics Dive Into Reading Summer Book Club Form
Summer 2026 Ditch Passes
Swim passes are good at all City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County Pools starting May 23, 2026 and are good until September 7, 2026. Recipients must be 17 and younger.
Title One Schools & Non-Profit Pass
Request Ditch Safety Passes for your school or organization.
Ditch the Ditches
Children are out of school for the summer, which means they will be looking for things to do during the summer months, and that can mean playing in area ditches and arroyos.
Ditch and arroyo safety will and should be a top concern for parents and public safety departments as June will begin the summer monsoon season.
The Swim and Play Pass Program is organized by the Ditch and Water Safety Task Force, a multi-agency task force dedicated to educating residents in Albuquerque and the surrounding areas about the dangers of ditches and arroyos.
The program is specifically designed to encourage children to play safe by swimming in community pools or skating at city parks, rather than in ditches and arroyos, during the summer months.
What's the Danger?
Although arroyos and ditches can appear harmless, it's important to remember that a flash flood, New Mexico's number one natural disaster, can occur at any moment. Drowning victims have ranged in age from 2 to 87-years-old.
Ditch & Arroyo Information
- Ditches are mud-lined waterways that run north to south, parallel to the Rio Grande River.
- Their purpose is to move irrigation water.
- They are usually filled with water from March 1 to Oct. 31 of every year.
- The water in ditches can move up to 20 miles an hour.
- Some ditches have undertows. If you're caught in one of these your chances of getting out of are very slim.
- Many ditches contain debris such as glass and barbed wire.
- There are often dead animals in the ditches.
- Bridges over the ditch can be slippery or possibly rusted.
- The banks of ditches are very slippery - if someone falls in, they can't easily get out!
Ditch & Water Safety Task Force
The Ditch and Water Safety Task Force is an organization dedicated to eliminating ditch and arroyo injuries and deaths through education. Formed in 1983, members include the city and county agencies listed below.
- Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA)
- Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District
- Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority (SSCAFCA)
- City of Albuquerque
- Bernalillo County
The task force's goal is to maintain zero drownings in the ditch and arroyo systems. This is accomplished by making over 100 safety presentations per year to elementary schools, middle schools and adult organizations and participation in special events throughout the year.
