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The visitor center at the Bonneville Navigation Lock is open seasonally, from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can see the navigation lock in operation when commercial or recreational boats are using the lock. There is no set schedule of when boats pass through the lock.

Boater Information for Chittenden Locks

The locks are located at the entrance to Salmon Bay and the Lake Washington Ship Canal in Seattle. More than 1 million people visit locks each year. For beginners, join the crowd and observe others locking through ask questions.

Ask for a copy of "Guidelines for Boaters", a handy booklet that outlines what you need to know about locking through. The booklet covers such basics as the equipment required, where to wait, the traffic signals, priorities and the "locking through" process. Keep this handy in your boat, so you can refer to it. It is also very useful to help inform unseasoned guests or crew members.

Another great way to learn is to go through the locks with a fellow boater who has had the experience. You can either go as a deckhand on his or her boat or ask your friend to assist you in bringing your own boat through.

Summer Locking Hours:

Recreational vessel lockages will be made during daylight hours only, upon request.

The Kansas City and Omaha Districts are responsible for the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project performing maintenance and operations on river training structures within the river reach from St. Louis, Missouri to Sioux City, Iowa. The river is open from Sioux City with no locks or dams and boaters may encounter commercial or recreational traffic. The Kansas City District's Missouri River Area Office provides surveys, channel reconnaissance and structure maintenance to Rulo, Nebraska and the Omaha District's Missouri River Project Office manages the BSNP from Rulo to Sioux City. Work is accomplished with specialized floating plants, towboats, survey boats, and other river-related equipment. Structure maintenance activity is conducted in partnership with the United States Coast Guard and shipping industry.

The preferred method of transport for non-motorized recreational craft and other vessels deemed unsafe or unsuitable for lockage is for portage around the dams. Non-motorized craft may be locked through if moored to a motorized assist vessel and if all personnel are on board the assist vessel.  All personnel must be wearing life jackets.

There are no locks incorporated in the dams on the main stem of the Missouri River to accommodate the passage of boats from one lake to the other on the river. To make a journey up the river, you will need to make arrangements to portage or trailer your boats around the dams. This service is not provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This list is of commercial businesses who may provide this service.

Water areas upstream and downstream of dams pose a high level of risk for the public due to hydroelectric intakes and outflows, spillway and outletworks operations, sluicing and lock operations that are often present or begin with little or no notice.  Turbulent boils and powerful currents are capable of swamping, capsizing, and even trapping boats and people in turbulent waters. To protect boater safety, these areas are restricted.
 

Safety first: Safety is the prime consideration when locking any type of recreational vessel through a lock. Operators must require all passengers to wear a coast guard approved life jacket.

Radio ahead: Vessels equipped with marine VHF-FM Channel 14 should contact the lock operator as soon as contact can be made, or at least 30 minutes before arrival at the lock. Vessels equipped with marine VHF-FM Channel 14 should use the appropriate call sign. Radio is the preferred contact method. Lock operators can also be contacted by phone.

Boaters without radios should look for signs directing them to pull cord signals and intercoms located up- and downstream from the lock. Pull the cord to signal the lock operator. Speak directly to the lock operator over the intercom.

Lock operator instructions: Please follow all directions from the lock operator when using the locks or operating in the vicinity of the locks. Lock operator has final authority on the suitability of a craft for lockage. The order of passage through the lock is at the discretion of the lock operator. The boat arriving first usually will be locked through first, but there are exceptions. Commercial vessels and government contract vessels take precedence between September 15 and May 15.

Signals for entering and exiting the lock: Enter when the green light is on. Stand clear when the red light is on. The lock operator may signal the lock is ready for entry by sounding one long blast on an air horn, or ready for exit by sounding one short blast.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one of the nation’s leading provider of outdoor recreation with over 400 lake and river projects in 43 states and more than 250 million visits per year. Please be careful in and around the water because even strong swimmers drown. Check out this website to find valuable tips and resources that could save your life or the life of someone you care about.