Smolt slides being removed at the Ballard Locks

Work is underway this week to remove the smolt slides at the Ballard Locks.

The smolt slides are basically “baby salmon slides”, which allow younger salmon a safe route to transition from fresh water to salt water, according to  Natural Resource Specialist Katie McGillvray. They are installed every spring in April and removed in the autumn.

The maintenance team is currently removing the smolt flumes in order to make the spillway gates available for the rainy season.

Photos from Hiram M. Chittenden Locks on Facebook

11 thoughts to “Smolt slides being removed at the Ballard Locks”

    1. Huh? The ladders are to help baby salmon reach the ocean, and they are removed every fall as rainfall increases and requires the spillways to operate. How exactly is that an assault on natural resources?

  1. thanks for the information. i never heard about a smolt slide before. it sounds like something salmon do for fun during the summer, like a ride at an amusement park. maybe i’ll write a song about it.

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