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Ballard Locks & Fish Ladder Virtual Cache

Hidden : 03/05/2022
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   virtual (virtual)

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Geocache Description:


Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks & Fish Ladder

The Ballard Locks are positioned at the west end of Salmon Bay and are an integral junction along the Lake Washington Ship Canal that joins Lake Washington to Puget Sound. The Ballard Locks carry more boat traffic than any other lock in the US.  Along with the fish ladder and surrounding Botanical Gardens, it is one of Seattle's top tourist spots, attracting more than one million visitors annually.

 

Operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the locks serve as a saltwater barrier, which preserves the freshwater ecosystem of Salmon Bay. The complex includes two locks. Using the small lock when boat traffic is low conserves fresh water during summer, when the lakes receive less inflow. Having two locks also allows one of the locks to be drained for maintenance without blocking all boat traffic.

 

The salmon fish ladders are a fascinating accompaniment to the locks. In the summer months salmon can be seen climbing the ladder to the fresh water to spawn. Peak viewing is mid-June to mid-July, August, and September depending on the type of salmon.

 

Learn more about the locks and plan your visit by visiting ballardlocks.org.

 

PLEASE NOTE: VISITOR ACCESS IS ONLY AVAILABLE BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING HOURS: 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Logging requirements:

  1. Message me answers to the following questions:
    • At the WAYPOINT location (NOT the cache location) you will find yourself at the center of the upper gate for the large lock.  What are the two words at your feet?
      Note:  The large lock is currently closed for construction, but you can find the same words at the center of the gate for the other lock.
    • At the posted coordinates there will be a sign about Indian fishing rights.
      • Which Indian tribes are mentioned?
      • How many times was the supreme court called upon to interpret fishing rights?
  2. Submit a photo of yourself or your arm/hand doing a thumbs up in front of the locks (do NOT include the sign at the posted coords in your photo).

 


 

Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023

This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)