Seattle: Ballard Locks

A few weeks ago we went to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (also known as the Ballard Locks, because that is shorter). The locks are available 24 hours a day for boaters who need to travel from the lower waters of Puget Sound to the higher waters of Lake Washington.

Welcome to the Locks and Gardens.

The pecking order in the locks. For safety the little boats get to motor off first.

The gates are closing and the water is about to start rising.

Looking in the other direction when the Puget sound water level has been raised to the Lake Washington water level (at least in the locks anyway). The gates are opening.

Yachts get their own little locks to go through. Lucky folks.

There is also a Salmon Ladder with an observation area. Apparently August is a great time to visit with lots of big fish, but there were still plenty of fish in September. Apparently if you come here in November all you will only see bubbles.

It is well worth a visit to the locks because it is a bit of show as you see all the boats get carefully positioned. They have to adjust their ropes as the water level shifts and some owners are rightly concerned about the close proximity of the other boats.

Tourists can walk across the gates until just before they open and observe the process in some detail. The Salmon Ladder was also worth taking a look at. If you take a look from above all you see is churning water, but then you go down to the viewing gallery and there are plenty of fish navigating the seemingly serene waters.