Joint ASCE Seattle Section/COPRI December 2nd Dinner Meeting

About this event

HistoryLink’s Jennifer Ott and David Chapman from the US Army Corps of Engineers will present the history and operations of the Ballard Locks and Lake Washington Ship Canal. As co-author of “Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal”, Jennifer will walk through how this engineering marvel came to be, how it works, and how this facility shapes the natural and cultural history of the city. Representing the US Army Corps of Engineers, David Chapman will complement Jennifer’s historical presentation with attention to present day operations and future modernization. Books will be available for sale at the event.

Jennifer Ott is executive director at HistoryLink.org and an environmental historian. She co-authored Seattle’s Locks and Ship Canal with her co-author David B. Williams. Her other works include Olmsted in Seattle: Creating a Park System for a Modern City and Where the City Meets the Sound: The Story of Seattle’s Waterfront.

David R. Chapman, P.E., is the Chief of the Technical Section for the Lake Washington Ship Canal, where he leads engineering efforts supporting the operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and modernization of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks). Mr. Chapman brings 17 years of experience with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District, where he has led numerous multidisciplinary teams through complex civil works. David holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington and was named Seattle District’s 2022 Project Engineer of the Year.

From COPRI Seattle Chapter