Fish ladder & wave sculpture at Seattle’s Ballard Locks
During our family vacation in Seattle last month, we took the bus out to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, locally known as the Ballard Locks, to watch boats of all kinds moving through the locks from the freshwater of Lake Union and Lake Washington to the saltwater of Puget Sound.
We saw all kinds of pleasure craft pass through (including one sailboat whose captain got yelled at for going forward when he was told to wait)—and I neglected to take a picture of a single one. But I did get the charming building that overlooks the locks. The people lined up along the rail are looking down at boats going through the locks.
A fascinating steel sculpture, glinting in the bright sunlight, occupied me and my camera for some time.
Salmon Waves is the creation of local artist Paul Sorey. Click for his explanation of the sculpture.
From certain angles, the waves seem to bear down ominously on passersby.
But mainly they create a playful, watery mood.
Another attraction at the locks is a fish ladder that you can view from above and below. A fish ladder is a series of weirs, or water-filled steps, to help salmon and steelhead navigate from the ocean, around the locks and dam, and upstream to spawn; later, young fish travel back down the fish ladder to reach the ocean.
Along one of the upper weirs, we watched this fellow with a net catching salmon as they jumped their way up the ladder. I’ve no idea what he was doing, for he dumped them out as soon as he caught them.
An underwater observation room allows you to view fish working their way through the ladder.
We observed chinook salmon, about 2 feet long, heading upstream.
Sometimes they had to turn around and work up to it again.
The Ballard Locks are a fun place to while away a few hours on a pretty, late-summer day, when boaters are lined up to pass through the locks and the fish are heading upstream.
Up next: Orcas in the San Juan Islands! For a look back at Mount Rainier National Park, click here.
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Love the sculpture and the fish ladders. The cool breezes and green pictures from your trip are much appreciated viewing today.
Looks like a busy couple of weeks for you combined with lots of fun for the family.
If the guy with the net was associated with the guy right behind him, they may have been doing fish counts, or observing the general health of this year’s spawning adults.
Oh My! I love this! You have done all the touristy stuff that I haven’t, even though I live here. Looking forward to your post on orcas and whale watching.
How interesting to be able to see the fish actually working up the ladder. Love that sculpture.
I love that sculpture, it looks wonderful, thank for sharing
I remember that place, but not sure I have any pics of it – was there several years ago. And a cool SW oak / native plant collection across the locks. But the sculptures – so “sculptural” and interesting, all that steel in repetition!
We took an Alaskan cruise a few years back. The ship got in hours before our flight home, so we took a city tour. This was one of the most interesting places we stopped.
That is a great sculpture. And, the locks were interesting, too. We didn’t see the fish ladder. Maybe the wrong time of year.
Thanks for taking us along…again.
Stay cool….
The sculpture is marvelous~
DearPam,
I liked your perspective on the wave. Your photos and sharing adds another item to my bucket list. Ha!
Jeanette