Each year the Corps of Engineers “dewaters” the Ballard Locks, which is the official term for letting the water out to scrape barnacles off the walls and make sure all the mechanical systems are working properly. 

This morning our sister site myballard had the opportunity to climb 55 feet down the scaffolding to the bottom of the large Lock and see the structure from a rare point of view.

 Here are the volunteers who are busy scraping barnacles off the walls. We are appreciative that myballard took on this assignment for us because they report the sound of the scraping is deafening and the smell is eye-watering.  Click here for the entire story.