(wind blowing)
(water rushing)
(bell ringing)
♪♪
You know, in the early 1900s,
the United States Navy was looking for a place
to build a major shipyard here
in the Pacific Northwest.
They wanted to build the shipyard on Lake Washington,
just north of Seattle.
But to do so,
they'd have to create a new waterway
and perhaps a locks to get out to Puget Sound.
They decided against that after the studies took so long
and they moved the shipyard idea to Bremerton.
But the locks project went ahead over a period of years
through state support, as well as
U.S. government support.
♪♪
When the locks was constructed,
the water level in Lake Washington dropped eight feet,
leaving some piers in Salmon Bay
high and dry and opening up all kinds of new waterfront.
It was quite controversial at the time.
There was no salmon or evidence of a salmon run here.
And so, to provide enough water to keep Lake Washington levels
up and to have the locks work properly,
they rerouted the Cedar River into Lake Washington.
So the Cedar River began to flow into Lake Washington,
opening up enough water levels to provide for the daily
opening and closing of the locks.
♪♪
More boats travel through this locks than any other locks
that we've ever constructed in the United States.
♪♪
Having come through here on many occasions,
there's a small locks and a large lock.
If you're in a smaller boat, you go through the small locks.
On weekends, they're jammed full of boats.
Everybody and their brother wants to either
get onto the lake or get out to the sound.
♪♪
This is a major tourist attraction as well for the state of Washington.
Many people come here to enjoy the locks and watch the activity
as the boats go to and fro.
♪♪
(bell ringing)
♪♪
When visiting the locks, be sure and observe
the beautiful gardens that are adjacent to the locks.
They are simply beautiful.
♪♪
It's a beautiful location
used by hundreds of boaters, sometimes every day,
but at least every month and every year.
We are lucky to have this as an asset for our state.
It's a very enjoyable spot to visit.
It's entirely free.
It's a very good learning experience.
And we're lucky to have the locks.
(bell ringing)
This is the government locks,
the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, the Ballard Locks.
It's all one and the same.
A great place to visit.
And one of my favorite places.
♪♪