During the annual pump-out of the large lock at the Ballard Locks, a group of volunteers scrape the barnacles off the passageways to make it easier for salmon smolt to pass through in the spring during their annual migration.
“It is very hard work. It’s cold and wet and smells bad too,” the video text reads. “The smolt appreciate it. So do the crows.”
It’s thankless work, but apparently, the “volunteers” love it. Check out this video of this week’s barnacle scraping:
There’s still an opportunity to get a special tour while the big lock is emptied — the final behind-the-scenes presentations will be tomorrow (Nov. 16) at 10am and 2pm.