Just as the salmon migration gets underway, the large and small locks will be closed to marine traffic so construction and dive crews can inspect the salmon exclusion structure. The closure is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, although crews may finish up early allowing the locks to re-open ahead of schedule.
A look at the serene Locks during a closure last year.
According to the Army Corps of Engineers, “The structure prevents salmon access to the locks’ saltwater return system and improves the viability of the salmon runs, which use the fish ladder to return upstream to their spawning grounds. The design allows for the doors to be manually closed to screen fish during migration and opened when the salmon are not migrating.” According to the Corps, only one adult coho salmon was found in the return system during last year’s migration.
