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Lake Washington Ship Canal
Chittenden Locks and Lake Washington Ship Canal
Location: Salmon Bay, Seattle, Washington
Built: 1911-1934
Architect: Multiple
Architectural style: Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Other
Governing body: ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
NRHP Reference#: 78002751 [1]
Added to NRHP: December 14, 1978

The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks accommodate the approximately 20-foot difference in water level between Lake Washington and the Sound. The Canal runs east/west, and connects Union Bay, Lake Union, the Montlake Cut, Portage Bay, the Fremont Cut, Salmon Bay, and Shilshole Bay, with the Sound, which empties into the Pacific Ocean. The project began in 1911 and was officially completed in 1934.

As early as 1854, there was discussion of building a navigable connection between the Lake Washington and Puget Sound for the purpose of transporting logs, milled lumber, and fishing vessels. Thirteen years later, the United States Navy endorsed a canal project, which included a plan for building a naval shipyard on Lake Washington. In 1891 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started planning the project. Some preliminary work was begun in 1906, and work began in earnest five years later. The delays in canal planning and construction resulted in the U.S. Navy building the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, which is located across the Sound from Seattle.

The Canal's crossings, from east to west, are:

The Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Montlake Cut, along with the Montlake Bridge are City of Seattle Designated Landmarks (ID #107995).[2]

Seattle waterways - 1902.jpg Seattle waterways - 1990s.jpg
Seattle's waterways in 1902, before the canal was built. Seattle's waterways in the 1990s, showing the effect of the canal (and of other projects, such as the undergrounding of many streams and the re-routing, dredging, and industrialization of the Duwamish River). (The map remains essentially accurate as of 2009.)

Notes

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
  2. ^ Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for M, Individual Landmarks, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Seattle. Accessed December 28, 2007.

Coordinates: 47°38′35″N 122°20′05″W / 47.64319°N 122.33482°W / 47.64319; -122.33482




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