Eagle Viewing Update

Post date: Jan 21, 2011 6:34:34 PM

This weekend will be the last chance to watch bald eagles from Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District's eagle-viewing center at Kingsley Dam.

More than 100 eagles, as well as swans, gulls and other wildlife, have been sighted on the shore of Lake Ogallala this winter, the Holdrege-based district said in a news release.

The center will be open Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (MST).

The eagle-viewing center at the Johnson No. 2 Hydroplant south of Lexington will be open Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., through Feb. 27.

Ice on the Platte River and good supplies of fish in the canal below the hydroplant have drawn eagles there this winter, too.

Admission is free; no reservations are required

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Central is providing eagle-watching opportunities to the public again this winter, and so far the viewing has been good. As of the third week of January, up to 30 bald eagles have been seen at both sites where Central provides viewing opportunities.

The facilities are located at the Johnson No. 2 (J-2) hydroplant near Lexington and in a building below Kingsley Dam. The facilities are open on Saturdays and Sundays through mid-February.

J-2, located south of Lexington near the intersection of county roads 749 and 750, is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Kingsley facility, located below the south end of the dam, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Central has been providing eagle-viewing opportunities at J-2 since 1988 and at Kingsley Dam since 1990. The eagles are attracted to feed on fish in the open water below the plants, particu-larly when rivers and lakes in the area are covered with ice.

Several factors influence the number of eagles near the facilities on any given day, including weather, ice cover on area lakes and rivers, how many eagles are wintering in the area, and whether the hydroplants are on-line. The best viewing time is normally earlier in the day. There is no charge to visit the fa-cilities.

For more information, visit Central's Web page at www.cnppid.com or call (308) 995-8601