Dippy Duck Celebrates 60 Years of Promoting Water Safety in the Imperial Valley by Imperial Irrigation District Jun 23, 2026 Member Submitted News Dippy Duck, the Imperial Irrigation District’s (IID) beloved water safety mascot, celebrated his 60th birthday on June 13 with hundreds of local elementary students and their families at the El Centro Aquatic Center, commemorating six decades of helping keep Imperial Valley communities safe around canals. The special invitation-only celebration brought together students from across the Imperial Valley for a day of fun, recognition, and water safety education. To mark the occasion, IID distributed 400 golden tickets to 44 elementary schools throughout the region. School administrators selected students based on academic achievement, citizenship, attendance, leadership, and other accomplishments. “Dippy Duck has helped generations of children understand that canals are dangerous and are not safe places to swim or play,” said IID Board Chairwoman Karin Eugenio. “For 60 years, Dippy has been one of our most recognizable ambassadors for water safety. This celebration was a wonderful way to honor his legacy and the positive impact he has had on our community.” Since his introduction in 1966, Dippy Duck has served as the face of IID’s water safety outreach program, delivering a simple but critical message to children and families throughout the Imperial Valley: Never swim in a canal. Never play, run, walk or ride a bicycle near a canal. Never jump in a canal. This year’s outreach began on April 15 and ended June 2, and will continue throughout the month of July with summer presentations to local library summer programs and parks and recreation camps. IID manages more than 3,100 miles of canals and drains across the Imperial Valley. While the system is critical to delivering water that supports agriculture and the region’s economy, canals are not designed for recreation. Water levels and flows can change suddenly, making canals dangerous even for strong swimmers. Thank you to our Imperial Valley elementary schools, its administration and our communities for their continued support in IID’s water safety program. Happy Birthday Dippy!
