Lake Union and Intended Consequences

Home , Ballard Locks, Lake Union, Montlake Cut, Ship canal

Lake Union and Intended Consequences Curtis DeGasperi, King County Science and Technical Support Section University of Washington CEE444/445 April, 11, 2018 Lake Union before Locks 1904

1887 1882 1910

1910

1890 1891 1906-1956 History Link: http://www.historylink.org/File/8166; http://www.historylink.org/File/4250; http://www.historylink.org/File/10307; http://www.historylink.org/File/1444 ~1900 ~1900 Lock Construction (1911-1917) Digging the channel for the Lake Washington Ship Canal, ca 1915 Releasing water from Lake Union into the Montlake Cut (Webster & Stevens) August 26, 1916 (Webster & Stevens)

Ship Canal and Locks Opening Day – July 4, 1917 (photographer unknown)

Ship Canal Locks Construction 1913 (Asahel Curtis) After Locks Construction 1962 2007 Founded 1919

1920

1962

1932

1919 1962 1926 Salinity Intrusion into the Ship Canal and Lake Union was Anticipated

• Based on experiences encountered in the operation of the Panama Canal a saltwater drain was incorporated into the design of the locks

• Report findings: • The concentration of sea water in the ship canal is dependent on the amount of rainfall, number of lockages, proper functioning of the salt drain, and methods of disposal of surplus water. • As much surplus water should be conducted through the lock culverts to maintain a lower degree of salinity in the canal. • Lake Union serves as a secondary salt water basin and thus prevents the contamination of Lake Washington • Storage of surplus water or additional water sources would aid in flushing the canal during the dry season • Hydrogen sulfide is generated from sulfates in the brackish bottom waters in the canal. Uplockages Bring Salt Water into the Ship Canal The Salt Water Drain (aka Siphon)

Locks Provide for Control of Lake Levels Salt water reaches Lake Washington by 1950s Salt Water Barrier for Large Lock added 1966 Original Fish Ladder Rebuilt 1976 A Baseline Study of the Water Quality, Sediments, and Biota of Lake Union Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) State Water Quality Standards (Chapter 173- 201A WAC)

• Salinity shall not exceed one part per thousand (1.0 ppt) at any point or depth along a loine that transects the ship canal at the University Bridge (river mile 6.1) Penetration and Dilution of Saline Water Between Lake Union and Lake Washington (Rattray and Shetye 1982) Puget Sound Chinook Salmon Endangered Species Act Listing 1999 Herschel Smolt Flumes (2000 on) Synthesis of Salmon Research and Monitoring (2008)

Lake Washington Ship Canal Water Quality Science Panel (2012)

Adaptive Management Recommendations • False Lockings • Improve Lock Fill System • Enhance Vertical Mixing • Pump Cool Oxygenated Water from below Locks/Lake Washington • Deepen LWSC between Locks and Lake Union • Maintain/Enhance Summer Water Supply for Operations • Improve Fish Passage Structures

Water Quality Data ACOE Salinity and Temperature Data Average Conditions in August

Large Lock Ballard Bridge Fremont Bridge Gas Works University Bridge

Temperature(oC) Temperature(oC) Temperature(oC) Temperature(oC) Temperature(oC)

14 16 18 20 22 24 14 16 18 20 22 24 14 16 18 20 22 24 14 16 18 20 22 24 16 18 20 22 24 0

20 Depth in Feet in Depth 30

40 1 ppt Salinity Std

0 2 4 6 0 2 4 6 0 2 4 6 0 2 4 6 0 2 4 6 Salinity (ppt) Salinity (ppt) Salinity (ppt) Salinity (ppt) Salinity (ppt)

Salinity Salinity Salinity Salinity Salinity Temperature Temperature Temperature Temperature Temperature

King County Lake Union Contour Plot Dissolved Oxygen and Salinity

0 0 2008 Lake Union A522 5 2009 Lake Union A522 5 -1 10 -1 10 Dissolved Oxygen (mg L ) 15 Dissolved Oxygen (mg L ) 15 20 20

5 5

10 10

15 15

20 20

25 25 0.2 Depth in Feet in Depth Feet in Depth 0.4 30 30

0.6 35 35 0.2 0.8 1.0 40 0.4 40 0.0

2008-01 2008-03 2008-05 2008-07 2008-09 2008-11 2009-01 2009-01 2009-03 2009-05 2009-07 2009-09 2009-11 2010-01

Salinity. ppt Salinity. ppt False Locking Studies

Models

• HAR03 (Steve Chapra) • CE-QUAL-W2 • CH3D/ICM • CFD University Regulator CSO Control Design Project (circa 1987) • Steve Chapra (HAR03 eutrophication model) CE-QUAL-W2 (circa 2001) – drought emergency CH3D/ Lakes CH3D CE-QUAL-ICM CE-QUAL-ICM Computational Fluid Dynamics Model (~2011)

• Mesh Info: 2.7 million nodes • Dense structured mesh by dam • Course structured mesh through the canal • Dense unstructured mesh connects the two pieces Questions? Sources

• Ballard Locks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballard_Locks • Hiram M. Chittenden Locks: https://www.seattle.gov/util/cs/groups/public/@spu/@conservation/documents/webcontent/sp u01_002693.pdf • Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/ballard-locks-they-dont- move-a-lot-of-freight-but-they-mean-a-lot-of-money-and-need-repair/ • Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/ballard-locks-readied-for-25-million- gallon-refill/ • Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/seattle-native-culture- water-hiram-chittenden-ballard-locks-ship-canal-100-years/ • Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/our-ship-canal-has-provided- a-century-of-connections/ • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Locks-and- Dams/Chittenden-Locks/ • Waterway: The Story of Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal (David B. Williams, 2017)