Steelhead at the Locks (or not.)

Onchorynchus mykiss is a mouthful in more ways than one. It is tricky to say, and it tastes delicious! It’s also a fish that is very rarely seen in the viewing window of the fish ladder. At one time there were two to three thousand steelhead migrating through the Chittenden Locks in winter. Nowadays you are quite lucky to see just one!

What are Steelhead?

Steelhead are a type of Pacific salmon. Like other Pacific salmon, they rear in fresh water until they become smolts, then migrate to the ocean. This stage can last anywhere from about one to four years.

Once in the ocean, they can travel thousands of miles; they keep getting larger as they find larger food sources, usually in colder waters. This stage can also last from one to four years. Upon returning to their native streams, they will deposit eggs. Unlike their cousins the Coho, Chinook, Sockeye, Chum, and Pink salmons, the Steelhead are not always destined to die after they spawn; they may return to the ocean several times in their lives. In that way they are more similar to their distant cousins the Atlantic salmon. Steelhead are quite difficult to track, but some have been tagged and are known to have traveled all the way from the Columbia River basin to the Sea of Japan and back, in their lifetime.

If an Onchorynchus mykiss spends its entire life in fresh water, it is called a Rainbow Trout. They are the same species, but have differing lifestyles. Steelhead normally weigh about 8-11 pounds, but can get as hefty as 40 pounds or more. They are quite silvery in color, with many spots on all parts of their bodies, and a reddish or rainbow hue along their sides.

The run of Steelhead that came through the locks was a winter run and was therefore fully mature when they returned upstream. Summer runs come back younger and stay in the rivers until they mature.

So, What Happened to the Steelhead at the Locks?

The numbers of Steelhead have gone from about 2600 in 1983 to less than 10 in more recent years. It is difficult to get any numbers after 2008, when four fish were counted in the rivers that feed into Lake Washington. At that time only two redds were found; a redd is a nest with eggs in it.

The numbers of these fish in the Lake Washington system are so low that they seem to be on the verge of extinction. With that said, a few are seen every year and there are probably some that pass through without being seen or identified at all.

There are many factors that have contributed to their decline, such as destruction of habitat, pollution, man-made obstacles such as dams, ocean conditions and over-harvesting. It is also possible that some have decided to remain in fresh water and essentially convert to their Rainbow Trout mode. We also know that Steelhead prefer a fast, cold river to breed and rear in. Unfortunately, the water above the Locks is warmer than it was at one time, due to the urbanization of the environment.

Of all the factors have affected the Steelhead, none is as obvious and dramatic as the yearly visitation of the California sea lions. The most famous of these hungry predators was called Herschel. He arrived in 1983 and discovered that steelhead were pretty easy pickings at the Locks. That was when the steelhead run first began to decline.

Herschel, and other large male sea lions voraciously ate over half of the returning steelhead that returned to the locks for several years in a row. Although there were often as many as 40 or more sea lions in the area, it was observed that most of the devastation was usually caused by two or three of the largest ones.

While the steelhead counts have continued to decline, the sea lion counts have been growing. In 1972 the Marine Mammal Protection Act was first enacted. Since that protection was put in place, the number of California sea lions increased from around 50,000 to around 250,000. Each year shows a small percentage of increased population growth.

Numerous methods were employed to deter these Pinnipeds, (fin-footed mammals), but nothing was very effective. Some of the techniques used were underwater firecrackers, known as seal bombs; rubber bullets; acoustic harassment devices; nets; and poisoned fish. The sea lions were also trucked several times to other areas as far away as California, but always swam back. At best, these methods slowed the sea lions down, but not for long. Each time, they got wiser and more sure of themselves.

Meanwhile, the steelhead run has not been able to recover. The original run was a wild run; at one point a hatchery run was introduced with the hope of enhancing the numbers. Unfortunately, they competed with the wild fish instead.

There is no easy answer to this steelhead situation. What will become of the once wild steelhead run in Lake Washington? If a run still exists will it ever grow? Perhaps, we will have to go elsewhere to celebrate this beautiful fish, our state fish.

Article written for FoBL Blog by Stacey Gilbert

Information for this article was sourced from:

“Stock Report-Lake Washington Winter Steelhead.” wdfw.wa.gov 2009. 01 February, 2011. http://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/gispublic/apps/salmonscape/salmonscapeJSP/summaryStockReport.jsp?SasiStkNum=6154

Guterson, David. ”This Seal Doesn’t Have Everyone’s Approval.” http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com 1990. 23 January 2011. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1137071/index.htm

“Steelhead.” www.kingcounty.gov. 2008. 05 January, 2011. http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/salmon-and-trout/identification/steelhead.aspx

Snow on the Water

Seattleites readily remember the snow storm that paralyzed the city last November, resulting in power outages, freeway gridlock, buses sideways in the streets, people stranded.

Guess what? History repeats itself. Ninety-five years ago...



January 31, 1916 started out like any other cold, damp winter day in the city. Then mid-morning it started to snow; it kept coming down all day and on into the night. The storm continued steadily for 2 days: schools were closed, streetcar service was shut down and a snow slide closed the Northern Pacific Railroad’s Stampede Tunnel halting service across the Cascades.

Early afternoon on February 2 the wet snow was so deep it collapsed the roof of the West Seattle Christian Church, and several hours later the dome of St. James Cathedral crashed down under the weight of the heavy snow. The storm left Seattle with 3 feet of snow on the ground.



But over at the government locks in Ballard the workers were focused on something else. The cement work of the large lock was completed and the miter gates installed; it was time to open the valves and admit water in for the very first time. In this photo taken just after noon on Feb. 2, you can see the dark water coming from the filling tunnels, notice the staff on the upstream gate watching as the water pushes into the snow.

There must have been a sense of jubilation and pride that after decades of politics and planning- and 5 years of construction- it worked! Perhaps this group photo was a celebratory one, Chief Engineer Lt. Col. James Cavanaugh and his staff on the steps of the administration building on that momentous day (Cavanaugh is third from right in hat and glasses.) The Corps of Engineers workboat “Swinomish” did a trial lockage the next day, the locks were then used informally until their official dedication on July 4, 1917.



Sources for this article include HistoryLink.org and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Christmas Ships through the Locks Tomorrow

Check out the annual trip of the Christmas ships through the Ballard Locks tomorrow, 12/15/2010 around 8:10 PM, swinging around to Golden Gardens just after 9pm.

MyBallard.com: Christmas Ships to Sail Around Ballard

The Locks Then and Now

One participant from this years classic auto exhibit.

This summer I had the opportunity to bring some vacationing relatives around Seattle and showing off the city. One stop for virtually every visitor is the Ballard Locks and if it happens to be summertime you're likely to get the most from the experience. The Carl English Botanical Gardens will have the majority of its plants in bloom, there will be weekend concerts, classic cars exhibits, and even an occasional play free to the public and of course the juvenile salmon make their transition from their fresh water habitat journey out to sea, while the "grownups" are returning to start the next generation or provide a tasty meal for any of several species who look forward to this time of year.

Arguably, the greatest attraction is in fact the primary purpose of the facility, which is to assist boats to go from the inland waterways out to the Sound (and locations beyond) and vice versa. Being summertime there will be the usual assortment of working boats such as fishing vessels, barges, tugs and research vessels and a wide variety of pleasure boats as well. From canoes and kayaks on the humbler end, to yachts befitting the "Gotrocks" of the world, you're bound to see a non-stop parade of boats locking through.

For those of us who have lived in Seattle a while and who have made many trips to the locks it is difficult to imagine the facility not being there and to bring guests for a visit does reawaken an appreciation for what it really is. There is however, at least one person who remembers quite vividly the days before the locks were built. Her name is Rosetta Cleary, born 1904, and she has been a Ballard resident since the early 1900's! Her father was a carpenter with the U.S. Corps of Engineers and was working at Fort Warden when he was offered a position here in Seattle to work as a carpenter in the construction of the locks which took place between 1911 and 1916.

Here's how Rosetta remembered it in an interview I had with her:

The lock in mid construction. Circa a long time ago.

Tom: And, so he moved over here, do you remember when that was, it was before the locks, were they still working on them?

Rosetta: "No they hadn't started them, that's how we came to Ballard. Papa was in charge down in Port Townsend. And then they transferred daddy up here to work on the locks. And he worked from the very beginning when it was just a hole but he was in the carpenters shop. He didn't have to push and carry and roll those big old wheelbarrows. They were terribly heavy, because you know cement, when it mixed is very heavy and so they had to have very heavy things to carry it in so on top of the heavy lift that they had, they had to push these great big, heavy wheelbarrows. It was like a parade the way they had to work. They all worked in a row and there was a certain number of them I can't remember how many it was that was regular form they had for the wheelers. And when they wanted a drink of water they couldn't even go for it. They had to stand alongside of the wheelbarrow and they had water boys and when they wanted a drink the men held up their hands and stood by the wheelbarrow. They never left that wheelbarrow and got their drink. And then they would go on their way. But they could not leave the wheelbarrow".


During the interview she referred to the arduous nature of the work she would see when would go down to the site to watch the progress of the construction. Her dad was in charge of the carpentry shop as she mentioned and two of her brothers also worked briefly as "water boys".

Construction crew working with concrete.

Rosetta: "There was quite a number of them working there and there was a lot wheeling the wheelbarrows because it took two to wheel those wheelbarrows. They were so very heavy."

Construction crew at locks.

Notice all the hand tools in use. The safety hats seem to be either felt fedoras or tweed caps commonly seen in old movies worn by newsboys and which, at best, could only provide some small bit of protection from an errantly thrown newspaper!








Later in the interview she discussed watching the boats from the walls alongside the locks.

Rosetta: "And we had railings and only one handrailing across them and you weren't encased and you had to go across with one railing. Oh I didn't like that either. (laughing) I don't know why they were so expensive that they couldn't afford to put them up. There must have been a reason why. They would line up along the brink of the bridge and they never had a fence or anything there. You just stood right at the edge. Now they've got it all fenced off, you know. I used to be nervous when I would stand there to see the boats go through because there was nothing to protect you".

View from canoe in small lock. Notice the single railing.

Perhaps because of their familiarity with the locks and the frequency of their visits during its construction the family did not attend the opening ceremonies when the locks were officially dedicated on July 4, 1917. We will have to content ourselves with the descriptions preserved in the local papers of the day but it would be well worth anyone's time to read the accounts preserved on microfilm.






All photos by permission of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers except the "View from canoe in small lock" which is courtesy of Pat Carlton. 

Last Free Concert at the Locks This Summer

We are nearing the end of the 21st year of free summer concerts at the Chittenden Locks!


Beginning in June and continuing through Labor Day, the concerts attracted thousands of listeners to the Locks to hear a wide variety of music- jazz to gospel, salsa to bagpipes-- along with flower shows and an antique car exhibit. Bicyclists stop to listen, couples dance on the grass, kids clap hands; everyone enjoys the music in the beautiful setting of the gardens.

Catch the last concert of the season tomorrow at the Locks!

Folding chairs are available at 1:30 p.m. (first come/first served basis) and the music begins at 2:00 p.m.

Monday, Labor Day, September 6 - Michael Clune/Sleep Til Noon Band

Come and enjoy!

Some great pics from other summer highlights, including the fuchsias and cars:

It's Silver Time!

Coho salmon are commonly called silvers because of their shiny appearance. The coho run usually starts in mid-August and will peak around the second week of September, it is the last of the 3 salmon species to use the Lake Washington Ship Canal fish ladder.

Adult coho average 6 to 12 pounds and are identified by the fine spots on their back and upper tail lobe. If you have difficulty telling a coho from a Chinook, look at their mouth--the coho will have pale color flesh along their gum line while the Chinook will have dark color flesh at the base of their teeth (hence, young Chinook are sometimes called ‘blackmouths.’)

Coho return to spawn in their natal stream when they are about 3 years old, like all salmon species, the males develop the very distinctive hooked upper jaw (called a kype) and teeth in order to fight for dominance in the spawning beds. Some of the coho run will be returning to the hatchery in Issaquah, others will spawn in the local creeks where they were hatched.

Coho are found along the Pacific coast from San Francisco to Alaska.

Bebb & Gould Plaque

Excerpted from the Friends of the Ballard Locks website. For full article, see: Administration Building Plaque: Bebb & Gould & Molten Metal.  

Recently, we discovered some background information about the artist who sculpted the original artwork for this plaque. We'll include that here at the beginning of the original article posted back in 2010.

Gary Westwood

A self-trained visual artist, Gary Westwood had a hand in many iconic images of the 1980s, including the Puyallup Fair mascot (a wearable pig’s head made of latex), a panda head and boots for the Kent Police Department’s mascot, a wax caricature of famed sportscaster Wayne Cody for the promotional “Watch Wayne Disappear” diet campaign, and the crab legs worn by singing waiters in a commercial for the Sea Galley restaurant (available on YouTube!).

Westwood’s work on the plaque was more solemn. His daughter, Tisha ValWes, recalls that the two of them visited the raptor exhibit at Woodland Park Zoo to photograph and sketch the eagles resulting in the majestic bird that spreads its wings at the top of the tablet. Westwood also created most of the other elements of the plaque, sculpting them in clay before the images were cast in bronze.

... the following was the original post from 2010 ...

Although originally designed by Bebb & Gould in their plan for the locks buildings and grounds, it was not until 1985 that the Plaque on the East side of the Administration Building was completed. You may have visited the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks many times and observed the plaque, but not know its story. The plaque shown above is attached to the east side exterior wall of the administration building. Although work on the original ship canal buildings and grounds, designed by the firm of Bebb & Gould, was completed in 1922, the plaque was not created until 1985. When the locks underwent an $8 million rehabilitation from 1982 to 1985, the Corps rediscovered the original design drawings for the plaque and decided to have the work completed. The design of the plaque is rich in symbolism including: 1. The Eagle, emblem of the United States, used by the Corps of Engineers in its Coat-of-Arms. 2. The French term “Essayons” which is the motto of the Corps and means “let us try”. 3. The Castle, the symbol of the Corps of Engineers since 1839. The plaque was dedicated in a ceremony in August of 1985 commemorating the rehabilitation project. Completed nearly 70 years after opening of the locks, the plaque looks to the future with a commitment to continuing service to the public. Excerpted from the Friends of the Ballard Locks website. For full article, see: Administration Building Plaque: Bebb & Gould & Molten Metal.

All Hail the Kings!

The Chinook salmon are beginning to arrive at the Locks fish ladder.

Commonly called ‘king’ salmon because they are the largest of the Pacific salmon species, they are about 36” long and average 15 to 20 pounds. Seeing them in the fish ladder viewing gallery they are easily distinguished from the sockeye by the spots on their back and tail (sockeye have no spots.) The Chinook will also be larger and sometime have an olive green sheen on their bodies. The run will peak around the second week of August.

About 80% of the Lake Washington Ship Canal Chinook run is returning to the hatchery in Issaquah, the other 20% of the run will return to whichever river or stream where they were hatched 3-5 years ago. Hatchery fish are identifiable by the absence of their adipose fin (the tiny fin in front of the tail;) this fin is clipped off in the hatchery before the fish is released. Wild Chinook salmon are on the Threatened Species List.

Chinook salmon range along the Pacific coast from Alaska to California and they are prized as both a commercial and as a sport fish.