100 years ago,  Seattle and US Army Corps of Engineers joined forces to create a Commercial Navigation Route to Develop Seattle.  

Today the Ballard (Hiram M. Chittenden) Locks are 
the Nation's busiest with over 40,000 vessels/yr.

Boats 'lock thru'  24 hours/day, except during maintenance.

In addition, a significant salmon migration passes through the Locks and Fish Ladder that can exceed 100,000 salmon.

Funding is based primarily on value of commercial cargo.  Today, commercial cargo is a small percentage of boat traffic...even the Fishing Fleet goes through empty and is not counted.  As a result, the Locks are significantly underfunded.

The Locks (See Map) are a Seattle Icon, National Historic Site
and a top tourist site attracting over 1.3 million visitors/yr.
The Grounds are open from 7:00am to 9:00pm, 365 days a year.

No fees are charged for visitors, commercial ships or private boats.  Even guided tours and summer concerts are free.

Check Out Social Media below for more information

and also the blog Friends of the Ballard Locks

The Aging Locks are in serious need of repairs and upgrades and the Corps of Engineers is working on major operational repairs.
  

Visitor education facilities are being upgraded by the
Corps of Engineers Foundation through private & public support.
...See What is Needed and How You Help.