On Saturday, 9 August 2003, Zack, Sally, Katie and I took a day trip to go whitewater rafting on the Nooksack River, about 2 hours north of Seattle, and just "aboot" about 10 clicks south of the Canadian border, as the crow flies.
We began our adventure in a primeval canyon dripping with moss. The first half hour or so of rafting was a wild ride requiring precise maneuvering through the tight and technical rapids in the narrow canyon section. Rapids the likes of Fir Drop, Turtle Rock, Landslide, and Gallop Drop gave you the sense of this steep canyon and its fast pace. The Nooksack is a glacial fed river, and our rafting trip was rated Class III+ in terms of technical difficulty, on a scale of I to V. After the strech of rapids the ride settled down to a liesurely float with some awesome views of 10,778 foot Komo Kulshan, "The Great White Watcher", better known as Mt. Baker, Washington's second most active volcano.
Unfortunately, we could only get the camera out of the dry bag to take pictures before we put in and during out lunch break. Everyone agreed that it was a blast.
 dscf0413.jpg 42.1 KB A salmon in the fish ladder at the Ballard locks |
 dscf0414.jpg 137.2 KB Katie in the garden at the Ballard locks |
 dscf0421.jpg 92.6 KB Zack and Sally's new house in Issaquah |
 dscf0447.jpg 98.3 KB Zack and Sally getting their gear on for WHITEWATER RAFTING! |
 dscf0477.jpg 115.9 KB Team Handley |
 dscf0483.jpg 115.6 KB Group Photo of the RAFTERS |
 dscf0449.jpg 94.3 KB Sally, Zack and Katie ready to go WHITEWATER RAFTING! |
 dscf0450.jpg 84.8 KB Don, Sally and Katie ready to go WHITEWATER RAFTING! |
 dscf0451.jpg 105.7 KB Father and Son WHITEWATER RAFTERS! |
 dscf0460.jpg 110.4 KB Zack and Sally |
 dscf0461.jpg 108.5 KB Zack, Katie and Don, with Mt. Baker, "The Great White Watcher" in the background |
dscf0461.jpg 108.5 KB Zack, Katie and Don, with Mt. Baker, "The Great White Watcher" in the background |
 dscf0467.jpg 81.5 KB Our trusty raft |
 dscf0471.jpg 87.4 KB Zack, absent-mindedly munching on a delicious cookie during the lunch break |
 dscf0472.jpg 106.4 KB Sally, laughing at Zack absent-mindedly munching on a delicious cookie during the lunch break |
Fish that migrate from salt water to fresh water are known as anadromous. These fish hatch in lakes, rivers and streams, or fish hatcheries. After a short growth period in fresh water, they head out to sea. When mature, they return to spawn in the same river, stream or lake where they were hatched. Fresh water is needed for the fish to spawn, for their eggs to hatch, and for the protection and survival of their young.
When the Corps of Engineers designed the locks and dam on Lake Washington, the natural drainage route of Lake Washington was changed -- the locks and dams blocked all of the salmon runs out of the Cedar River watershed. To correct this problem, in 1917 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a 10-step fish ladder to the south of the spillway dam on Lake Washington.
A new ladder was built in 1976, to reflect modern fish ladder standards. The amount of attraction water was increased. This ladder has 21 steps, or weirs, which allow the fish to swim upstream on a gradual incline.
Sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon, as well as steelhead migrate through the Ship Canal back to Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, and the Cedar River watershed. Six lighted windows in the fish viewing room provide visitiors with an underwater view of the migrating fish in the elongated 18th step.
Attraction water (water moving swiftly in a direction opposite the fish) helps fish find the ladder. Mixing fresh water from the lake and salt water from the saltwater drain provides an abundance of attraction water for fish to gradually adjust to the fresh water.
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