The Ballard Locks will be closed for five hours tomorrow (July 17) while U.S. Navy divers inspect the saltwater drain screen structure inspection. The locks will be closed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and only emergency vessels will be allowed through during the inspection.
The structure the divers will be inspecting is immediately upstream of the locks, and prevents salmon from entering the locks’ saltwater return intake. The divers closed 10, 10-foot-by-6-foot doors and inspected the 30-by-60-foot curved-front, mesh screen structure on June 6, and monthly inspections are required until the doors open again in mid-September, after the summer salmon run.
Boaters can call the lockmaster on duty at 206-783-7000 to verify that the locks are reopened after 1 p.m. To learn more about the activities at the locks, visit their website. More info about the locks can be found on their Facebook page.