Spring Cleaning: Preparing the Fish Ladder for Salmon!

Spring Cleaning: Preparing the Fish Ladder for Salmon! 

 

Not a returning salmon!

 

The fish ladder is scheduled for it's regular annual cleaning beginning Monday May 13 through Friday May 17. The fish ladder viewing gallery will be closed to the public, the rest of the locks and garden will remain open as usual. Here is a link to a previous article and slideshow detailing the history and explaining the process. Keep in mind that the dates in the article refer to a previous year and for 2013 the process begins on May 13. Enjoy!

Find a previously published article and slideshow here.

FOBL slideshow

We are adding a slideshow function to our blog in order to share images of the locks with the public. In the right column you can see a link for the slideshow. All photos are property of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and are used with their permission. So far we have scanned over 15,000 images from slides and photos which go back as far as the construction of the locks which began in 1911. In this launch of the slideshow we are including only a handful of images but this will soon increase. The locks were officially opened in 1917 and with the centennial rapidly approaching we are attempting to share the history and lore of the facility with all interested parties. As time permits we will be adding to and sorting the images to showcase different features of the locks such as commercial and pleasure craft, construction projects, fish and wildlife, and the Carl English Garden. As always we welcome any input and especially welcome those with an interest in the locks to spend some time with us as we work on various projects. If you're interested in volunteering please contact Susan Connole for further information. susanatthelocks@gmail.com

The Annual Inspection of the Large Lock

 

Looking west over large lock during inspection

The large lock is undergoing its annual inspection and maintenance which should conclude by November 20. This is also referred to as the Corps' Annual Cell Phone Scavenger Hunt due to the number of phones recovered when the lock is drained. Numerous other types of objects are also found but cell phones are among the most common. As the water is drained out, fish and other marine life have to be carefully moved to exit the lock before it completely emptied. This year found the usual assortment of fish, starfish, seals, otters, and an octopus. All removed safely to the sound so the work could begin.

The locks are each drained once a year to inspect all critical components and perform some maintenance necessary for the fish migration which is a crucial part of the Locks mission. To begin the process, emergency gates are lowered in sections by crane inside the east gates.

One section of emergency gate being lowered into position

Once these are solidly in place a scaffold will be assembled on the lock wall and then lowered by crane to rest on the lock floor. While the crane is still providing support for the scaffold, two personnel climb down the scaffold to secure the locking mechanism at the bottom of the legs. These individuals are called the “Short Straw” men. The scaffolding now secured below, the crane releases its hold and the scaffold will then be securely fastened against the lock wall for the rest of the crew to descend to perform their daily tasks.

"Short Straw" men head down

Scaffold assembled

Lowering scaffold

All working components of the lock will be inspected and if necessary, repaired. For the most part, it's routine maintenance which is required. The locks were originally finished in 1916 and the aging process means attention to detail is critical. Over the years improvements were made, new technology replacing old technology, but by and large it is looks substantially the same today as it did when completed. Most of the visible changes have been made for safety reasons, hand and guard rails, lighting, etc., and the mechanical upgrades are largely well out of sight of the visitors.

Spot welding on gate

The culverts, through which the water moves from lakeside to sound, become encrusted with barnacles just as the lock walls do. Because many of the salmon will use them for their migration crews will spend days scraping the barnacles from the culvert walls to prevent harm to the salmon as they brush against the side. Some estimate that as much as 47% of the salmon will use the locks instead of the fish ladder to reach their spawning grounds but it is widely believed this number to be highly inflated. It is probably boaters leaning over the sides of the boats while locking through that deposits most of the cell phones, with the rest simply being dropped by visitors on foot while taking pics or videos. But if you can hang onto your smart phones you can get some great shots of salmon leaping and the occasional seal among the boats during the height of the salmon season. There was once a minke whale who ventured in, but that's a story for another day.

The inspection should be finished by around November 20. While the large lock is under maintenance, the smaller lock is still operational so visitors can still enjoy watching the process. The large lock will provide only a few glimpses of the work underway but you can always watch the birds fighting over barnacle meat and wrigglers they are feeding upon.

Here are some pics of the maintenance in progress. You can click on any to see an enlarged view.

The large lock drained.

Working with the gates.

Small bulldozer lowered into lock to scoop mud and debris and scrape barnacles from walls.

An idea of the scale of the lock.

The inside gates open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 20, 2012 (Update)

The next two photos were taken Nov. 20 by Corps employee Katie Mcgillvray at high tide. With all the rain we received it contributed to the 12' tide level and you can see the water seeping through the outer lock wall. The work has been finished and the large lock is back in operation. For those who did not see the locks during this maintenance period you can mark your calendars for next November and see the lock as you rarely can.

 

 

 

A Look Back

The two pictures below are of some interest as well. Notice the water spilling over the gates and into the emptied lock and the scaffolding showing in the right lower corner. We are still attempting to gather more information on when exactly this might have been taken. A search through old issues of the Seattle Times turned up a reference to water spilling over the gates during a storm on Jan. 27, 1983. The large lock is usually drained in November however so this raised a few questions. Was the lock being inspected at a different time of year or was there another reason to empty and inspect it so soon after the November event? The same article mentioned that the tide was measured at 14.8 ft which tied a record previously set in 1977. These were the two largest high tides recorded since 1898. It might be worth noting the high tides in the upcoming months and making a trip to the locks. You never know but you just might see a scene like these below.

Jan 27, 1983 ??

Below is a link to a past inspection. Enjoy.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2011/11/video-annual-cleaning-of-ballard-locks/

Here is a link to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chittenden locks Facebook page. You can find more photos and info on other goings on at the locks.

www.facebook.com/chittendenlocks

The two bottom photos are supplied by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

July Friends’ Meeting: Tour the Locks!

LTC Cavanaugh and assistants pose in front of the newly
constructed Administration Building, Feb 1916.

For July's monthly meeting, the Friends of the Ballard Locks will host an historical overview of the locks and the key people who made it the extraordinary place that it is today.  The tour is scheduled for Thursday July 19^th and will begin 7:00 pm at the Visitor Center. Please enter through the south doors.  The tour will take about an hour and will end in the Administration Building. The tour is open to the public. An RSVP is not required, but if you would like more information about the evening tour or the Friends of the Ballard Locks organization, contact susanatthelocks@gmail.com or check with the Hiram Chittenden Locks Visitors Center.

This Fourth of July Marks 95 Years

Researched and written by Tom O'Grady.

Seattle Daily Times July 5, 1917 

July 4, 1917: The Official Opening and Dedication of the Government Locks

The picture above shows the parade of boats as they navigate the ship canal into Lake Washington and back to the Sound on July 4, 1917. The locks had actually been in operation for several months by this date but it was decided to have a grand celebration to commemorate a project that required decades of planning and 5 years of hard work to complete.

Every July 4 features celebrations of the anniversary of America's Independence and this day was even more memorable by the locks official opening, coming as it did only months after the U.S entered World War l. The navy had originally planned to build a base at this location and the locks were to be an integral part of this decision.

How the locks appeared in 1917. Seattle Daily Times

The day featured military parades in downtown Seattle, swearing in ceremonies for new citizens and music and entertainment all around the city. The Roosevelt was to be the first “official” vessel to make the journey from Puget Sound to inland lakes and back out to the Sound again, accompanied on this day by more than 80 parade vessels, and joined afterwards by Seattleites with anything and everything that would float. Tickets were available which would allow interested parties to be a part of the procession.

Seattle Daily Times

The image to the left is of an ad from the Seattle Daily Times offering passage on the steamer Sioux as part of the parade. The price was $1.00 which was not an insignificant sum in those days. At least one ad from this year referred to a Union Mechanic's wages as $8.00 per day.

According to Newell, ed., McCurdy Marine History, the Sioux was the first commercial vessel to pass through the locks during the opening ceremony on July 4, 1917.

The Sioux circa 1912. Photo from the U.W. Special  Collections. PH Coll 794.55

On the right is a picture of the Sioux taken several years before. It was built by the Moran Co. in 1910 and its founder Robert Moran will be mentioned later in this article as he was a strong supporter of the Locks project and a local dignitary.

The Locks celebration started in downtown Ballard with a parade headed by the Ballard Boosters starting at 1:15 pm and proceeding to the Government Locks (the official name at the time). After arrival, there would be a concert by the Seattle City Band, speeches by Col. Cavanaugh, Capt.Coontz, Maj. Dent and several judges. A street carnival and rose show would follow. The water parade would begin at 2:30 pm with the Roosevelt being the first "official" ocean going ship to make the inland journey into Lake Union and Lake Washington. Then to end the evening there would be prizes awarded for the rose entries and a dance starting at 9:00 pm.

The Roosevelt heading the parade.

The Roosevelt was in fact the ship that Admiral Peary had sailed in his successful trip to reach the North Pole and so it was fitting that such a noted vessel would be selected to lead this historic event. Or perhaps it was Elmer Reed in his humble canoe who seized the moment. More on that later. With the Roosevelt in the lead a slow procession of ships, boats, tugs and just about anything which could float started up the canal for a brief stop at the Fremont bridge where more speeches would be given to the assembled crowds. It was estimated that well over 100,000 people were scattered along the Ship Canal in order to witness this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Seattle's population at the timed was reported to be 360,000, so this represented the largest single gathering in the city so far.

After the brief stop at Fremont, the parade proceeded along the canal headed for Leschi Park. As mentioned earlier there were 80 plus official vessels in this parade and a strict and orderly distance of 150 feet was to be kept between all. It took one hour for the entire parade to pass any specific point and this was not including all the private vessels who took to the water and joined in the celebration.

The first three boats in parade.

While approaching Leschi Park it was discovered that one of the government dredges used on the canal had moored at the only available pier, making it impossible for the Roosevelt to tie up along the shore. The passengers on the Roosevelt would have to be taken on tugs so as to take part in the activities on land. While heading to pick up a second load of dignitaries, one of the tugs rammed a rowboat which was carrying one Senator Landon with two other unnamed gentlemen. The Senator saw the oncoming tug and realizing a collision was inevitable abandoned the rowboat, diving headlong into the lake. According to the newspaper, "The Golden Gate (tug) carried the rowboat fully 100 feet away, but Landon swam to it and was pulled out, shedding water and maledictions impartially." A phrase worthy of Mark Twain himself.

More speeches and proclamations were given and one of the earliest Boeing airplanes (the biplane in top picture) circled overhead to add to the already impressive spectacle. Another curious mention in the paper was of the female guests on board the Roosevelt. No names were given, but simply a mention that they were guests of the officers of the ship. Rank has its privileges!

By now evening was at hand and it was time for the return portion of the journey. Some of the unofficial vessels in the parade dropped off along the route to take part in various activities which were taking place all over Seattle but the length of the procession was still like nothing seen before or since. Considering the number of vessels taking part in the day's events it is noteworthy the almost total absence of mishaps. But then the day was not quite over.

Robert Moran, retired owner of Moran Co., successful businessman, past mayor of Seattle, and long a champion of the canal project, had been near the front of this flotilla on board his yacht Sanwan. He had retired to what has become known as Rosario Resort (in the San Juan Islands), in a mansion built to celebrate the retirement years of a very successful man. He was representing the Seattle Yacht Club, sailing his latest creation launched a year before. The day had been a resounding success and after completing the locks transit and heading back for his home on Orcas Island, the Sanwan ran aground approximately where 60th St NW would be. Three tugs were dispatched in an effort to free the vessel but were unsuccessful and had to wait until 2:30 am and the rising tide to do what the tugs couldn't.

Robert Moran's yacht Sanwan.

The evening would have the requisite fireworks and all the excitement they always bring out, but without question the singular event of this Independence Day was the parade celebrating the completion of Lake Washington Ship Canal. Succeeding anniversaries would be memorable but of course nothing compared to the first one. We will have to see what might happen in 2017, which will mark the centenary anniversary of the Chittenden Locks.

Seattle Daily Times ad July 5 1917.

The Roosevelt in the large Lock July 4, 1917.

Sources:
The Seattle Daily Times
The Seattle Post Intelligencer
MOHAI
Wikipedia
U.W Special Collections
All photos courtesy of The United States Army Corps of Engineers except where noted.
The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (formerly The Government Locks) located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington is an active site managed by of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Remember Elmer Reed? Here's a link to an article describing his claim to fame at the Chittenden Locks on July 4, 1917
http://blog.friendsoftheballardlocks.org/2010/07/help-us-confirm-whos-in-first.html