The Biggs killer whales – known as transient orcas – patrolling the Ballard Locks are potentially reinforcing progress we’re making upstream for salmon recovery by preying upon or scaring away harbor seals and sea lions lining up at the pinch point of the Seattle Ship Canal.
Making it possible for more Chinook salmon to make it safely through the Locks and return to their spawning grounds would increase the food supply for Southern Resident orcas. Combine that with the floodplains we’ve reconnected along major river corridors that provide healthy habitat for young salmon on their journey to Puget Sound and we could see gains for both salmon and orcas.
Unlike Southern Resident orcas, which strongly prefer salmon, the Biggs killer whales spotted at the Locks exclusively prey upon marine mammals, including harbor seals and sea lions that feast on salmon returning from Puget Sound.
“Addressing predation hot spots, like the Locks, is a high priority for salmon recovery in the watershed and around Puget Sound,” said Mary Ramirez, Technical Coordinator for WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council.
Miles away from Puget Sound, reconnected floodplains are benefitting salmon and orcas
Many of the Chinook salmon you see at the Ballard Locks came from the Cedar River — which flows into the southern tip of Lake Washington – where we’ve reconnected floodplains to simultaneously improve habitat and reduce flood risks. Two projects, Riverbend and Rainbow Bend, reactivated natural systems with side channels, offering habitat with slow, meandering water flanked by native vegetation that’s ideal for young salmon as they transition from freshwater to saltwater.
Here’s a video that shows how our partnership produced positive results for people, salmon, and orcas:
Both restoration projects are the result of a longstanding partnership known as the Lake Washington/Cedar/ Sammamish Watershed, or Water Resource Inventory Area 8 (WRIA 8), that includes staff from our Water and Land Resources Division with financial support from the King County Flood Control District. Together, we restore habitat, reduce flood risks, and protect infrastructure.
“King County’s biggest contributions to salmon recovery occur miles away from Puget Sound, in streams and rivers that are spawning grounds and rearing habitat,” said Carrie Byron, Salmon Recovery Manager for WRIA 8. “Many of the Chinook salmon you see climbing the ladder at the Ballard Locks came from the Cedar River where we’ve completed major restoration projects that orcas are benefiting from today.”
Major floodplain restoration projects along the Green and Snoqualmie rivers have also contributed to salmon recovery. The 145-acre project we completed near Fall City in 2024 was the largest in King County’s history and has already proven to help salmon transition from freshwater to saltwater. Here’s a video featuring the scientists who conducted the first-of-its-kind impact study:
Habitat restoration is in addition to progress we’ve made with partners to improve urban stream health throughout King County this century. That has improved the water quality of Lake Washington where salmon pass through on their way to and from the Ballard Locks.
The restored habitats and healthier urban streams all contribute to a more reliable food source for orcas.
“We’re just like everyone else, cheering when we see orcas in the Ballard Locks,” said DNRP Interim Director Mo McBroom. “One reason there are more salmon there today is because of outstanding work by our staff and our partners who have worked upstream for decades to restore habitat and improve water quality throughout our watershed.”
We’ll have staff experts at the Ballard Locks on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. participating in Salmon Day at the Ballard Locks. The event gathers partners in salmon recovery from around the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed to share information about their programs and talk to visitors about salmon in the area, contributing to the 20th annual Salmon SEEson.
