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By Desmaray Brown
CELINA, Tenn. (Nov. 15, 2024) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District announces that reservations for the upcoming Eagle Watch Tours at Dale Hollow Lake are being accepted at https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/10101848.
The Eagle Watch tours are Jan. 18 and 25, 2025. A barge picks up watchers with reservations 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at Lillydale Campground and 10 a.m. at Dale Hollow Resort State Park.
Each tour accommodates 50 eagle watchers, and each person is limited to reserving five spaces. The Friends of Dale Hollow Lake, Dale Hollow’s non-profit cooperating association, is providing complementary hot drinks. There is a $1 per reservation fee that offsets the cost of using the reservation platform and is not refundable.
“I think it’s a good chance for us to get folks outdoors enjoying Dale Hollow Lake during the off season when most folks don’t have the opportunity. I believe it’s important to provide the opportunity to see our national icon and one of the most beautiful birds of North America in the wild,” said Park Ranger Tyler Matthews, who also operates the barge during the tours. “
Matthews said Dale Hollow Lake is home to several nesting pairs of Bald Eagles, and the lake is pretty and picturesque with nature on full display for visitors. With the leaves off the trees, it is much easier to spot the Eagles in their natural habitat with binoculars and to take photographs, he added.
Eagle Watch tours are held during the coldest part of the year, which is the best time to view eagles when they overwinter due to the abundant food sources. Dale Hollow Lake is home to the second largest population of wintering bald eagles in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Attendees should arrive 10-15 minutes early to check in. Tours can last up to three hours, so participants are encouraged to dress warmly and in layers for the weather. Life jackets are required and limited, so bring your own if possible. Eagle watchers can bring a thermos, snacks, blanket, camera, and binoculars to make the exploration more enjoyable. Participation by small children is not advised, unless parents use extreme caution and oversight. The barge tour does not meet ADA standards; however, those with mobility needs have been able to participate based on the individual’s abilities.
Eagle Watch tours have been ongoing since the 1990s. From 1987 to 1991 a total of 44 eagles were transplanted from nests in Alaska, Minnesota and Wisconsin and then reared, tagged and released on the shoreline of Dale Hollow Lake near Irons Creek as part of an effort to restore the American Bald Eagle to the region.
The team utilized a technique called “Hacking” to care for then release the birds of prey in hopes they would someday return to the vicinity of where they first took flight to nest and reproduce. Today, the American Bald Eagle nests at Dale Hollow Lake and surrounding waterways and can be seen flying overhead all year.
For additional information, please contact the Dale Hollow Lake Resource Management Office at 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST at (931) 243-3136 and follow the lake on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalehollowlake.
The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps. The public can also follow Dale Hollow Lake on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalehollowlake. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.
| Date Taken: | 11.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.15.2024 15:25 |
| Story ID: | 485445 |
| Location: | CELINA, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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