The Ballard Locks have probably dodged the budget axe, at least for the next 11 months. Once again, U.S. Senator Patty Murray played a key role.

Murray was the single Washington State representative on a 32-member U.S. Senate and House conference committee on November 6 that restored more than $2 million for the locks, or about 40% of its operational budget. The shortfall would likely have meant severe cutbacks in open hours at the locks, which have historically been open 24 hours a day.

"I know how many families and businesses in the Ballard community rely on the locks. This is a victory for everyone who calls Ballard home," Murray said.

The restoration of funds for the locks is good news for a number of groups including locks employees, recreational boaters and maritime businesses, all of which have been bracing for operational changes after an informational open house three weeks ago. The message from Seattle District Army Corps' leaders then was to prepare for the worst - cuts in hours of operation, done with perhaps little notice.

"Oh yeah, it's good for us," said Ralph Pease, the vice president of operations for Argosy Cruises, about the restoration of locks funds. Argosy vessels make almost a thousand trips through the locks each year, carrying some 50,000 people.

"We currently use the locks during the daylight hours, but the problem is the tugs and barges and freight carriers use the locks at night. If they had to come through during the day, we could all get handicapped in a big way," Pease said.

At one point, the Army Corps had suggested solving the budget shortfall by keeping locks open just ten hours a day. More than 70% of commercial traffic passes through the locks on swing and graveyard shifts. Since commercial traffic has priority, charter boats like Argosy's would likely face long delays during the day.

Commercial operators too, would suffer under the arrangement. Foss Maritime, one of the largest tugboat operators on the west coast, estimated their tugs passed through the locks more than 400 times last year. Tugs and tows often arrive and depart the locks at odd hours dictated by tides, weather and customers. If tugs arrived at closed locks, ships would have to idle until dawn, setting delivery schedules back and costing unproductive wages.

"As long as we don't have to go through the same fight every year it's great, said Ric Shrewsbury, co-owner of Western Towboat. Shrewsbury's tugs ply routes as far as Alaska and Hawaii and vessel trips originate just east of the Ballard Bridge, inside the locks.

Shrewsbury was a key player in sounding the alarm about the negative consequences closing the locks would mean to shipping businesses, after the cuts were announced in the president's 2006 budget. Last summer, Shrewsbury provided the tugboat that toured the ship canal with John Paul Woodley, assistant secretary of the army, aboard.

Shrewsbury and other industry leaders convinced the secretary that measuring the locks' worth to the regional economy couldn't be measured simply using cargo tonnage figures. Those figures are the traditional yardstick the Corps uses to gauge a project's impact and financial requirements. Though the Ballard Locks are the corps busiest locks in terms of vessels locking through, they don't begin to compete with locks along the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio rivers. Unlike the destinations on either side of those locks, the Lake Washington Ship Canal is not a cargo destination as much as a home base for North Pacific marine commerce.

Woodley came away acknowledging the message industry leaders made and Senator Murray was able to get funding for the locks restored in the senate version of the budget appropriation. The US House, however, maintained the lower budget figure. Until the reconciliation Monday, the Corps was directed to operate under the lower of two budget figures - $4.3 million.

Now the appropriation must pass a full vote of the house and senate before being signed by President Bush. Staff for Senator Murray are confident that the president will sign the budget, though no one is suggesting budget battles at the locks are over.

"I do have a sense of relief [about the restored budget] but my concern is that we get the metric fixed so we don't have to do this year after year," said John Post, operations manager at the locks.

The 2007 budget for the Ballard Locks begins next October. The president will announce the new budget early next year.