After being closed for almost six months it looks likely Evergreen Pool in North Highline will reopen very soon.

During that time the White Water Aquatics swim team, who swam out of Evergreen Pool, has been working hard to reopen the pool. The swim team created White Water Aquatics Management (WWAM),

WWAM negotiated the reopening of the pool with King County and the current owner of the pool, the Highline School District.
WWAM will manage the pool once it is reopened.

WWA Head Coach Joel Schweiger said their goal would be to have a soft opening on April 19 followed by a grand community opening on May 1.

Schweiger said King County is currently repairing the pool, fixing the roof, replacing the drains, bringing it up to code as well as other repairs.

Work parties would be organized by WWAM to get the pool ready the rest of the way before it opens.

WWAM has raised about $50,000 so far. Schweiger said they are going to need continuing donations to keep the pool going and to expand their programs.

"We are looking at all private community donations to raise the reserve to keep it open and to fund lesson programs for lower income kids. Scholarship programs and that kind of stuff," he said.

The biggest difference between Evergreen Pool and Mount Rainier Pool, which was also looking at closing, is Mount Rainier Pool had voters in Des Moines approve a park district to fund the pool, Schweiger said. He said the Evergreen operators do not have the luxury of tax money coming in.

WWAM is also looking into grants, Schweiger said, especially for the first couple of years. He said WWAM wants to have enough in cash reserves so when a maintenance problem arises, it will not cause the pool to close.

Evergreen Pool is looking at an opening staff of around 20-25 employees, Schweiger said. When the pool is going full stride in the summer that number would increase to 35-40 employees.

The White Water Aquatics Swim Team has been swimming at the City of Tukwila Pool since Evergreen closed.