Ballard Locks and saving of the anadromous. The what?

I’m sure you’re all familiar with the word “anadromous.” Not andromeda, but anadromous, meaning the salmon give birth in fresh water then live out their lives in salt water. At the end of their lives they return to fresh water. But if the whole canal is man-made then why would the salmon return to this spot? The answer is that the canal was built within the drainage route of Lake Washington. The salmon had been returning here year after year for countless years. The builders understood this and added the fish ladder where the salmon can bypass the dam entirely and get to fresh water. The salmon can be viewed in the ladder through large windows built underground. When I was rushing through this area, there was one lone salmon facing upstream but confused on what to do next. I’ll have to return to get better shots.

And now for the rest of the story … What we call the Ballard Locks is formally known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. Who is Chittenden? He’s credited with building the locks. Why locks anyway? They keep Lake Washington from lowering. They also keep the mix of fresh water and salt water to a minimum. These locks occupy a third of the distance across the canal. When you add the spillway and fish ladder, the Ballard Locks form a dam preventing salmon from swimming up stream.

The draw bridge was lowering when I arrived. A train passed and then another. A walkway along the canal provides an ideal vantage point of the locks, bridge, and spillway. It’s quiet with a few dog walkers, a photographer waiting for the train, several sleeping homeless, and a group of elderly tourists. Fall colors are bright on the trees and along the walkway. Canadian geese and seagulls love this area, and a great blue heron straddles a cable across the canal.

The similarities between the Panama Canal and these locks are amazing. The doors of the locks and the outbuildings, including a large 2-story structure, are reminiscent of Panama. Also, I noticed the banks here are terraced. The Panama Canal builders terraced the mountainsides to stop the constant erosions, especially at the Gaillard Cut (formerly Culebra Cut). The Ballard Locks and canal were conceived in the mid-1800’s if not sooner. Construction began full steam in 1911 and completed and opened in 1917. This roughly coincides with the building of the Panama Canal.