The Ballard Locks will be closed Tuesday so construction crews and dive teams can inspect the salmon exclusion structure. Both the large and small locks will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The structure was installed upstream from the Locks by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent salmon from being trapped in the saltwater return system. “The exclusion structure is working well,” said Chuck Ebel, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, fish biologist. “Since it was put in use three years ago, we only observed one chinook and one coho in the diffuser well.”

Emergency vessels on an emergency call will have access to the locks during the closure. Boaters may call the lockmaster on duty at 206-783-7000 to verify that the locks are open. The Locks are also on Twitter and Facebook.