Photo Submitted to Times Observer Make your reservation soon to spend Saturday, October 5, enjoying guided tours of Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny Fish Hatchery located at its base. This event presented by Audubon Community Nature Center is so exclusive, you will need clearance by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take part.

Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC), Jamestown, NY, will be presenting an event that is “so exclusive you have to get government clearance to participate.”

On Saturday, October 5, guests could have the opportunity to spend the day touring behind-the-scenes of Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny National Fish Hatchery.

The deadline to make a reservation to participate is Tuesday, September 24, but spaces could fill up before then.

The day is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. with a guided tour inside the US Fish and Wildlife Service Allegheny National Fish Hatchery located at the base of USACE’s Kinzua Dam in Warren County.

The hatchery is one of eleven National Fish Hatcheries working to “restore, enhance and maintain heritage fisheries” throughout the Northeast Region. The hatchery works to produce lake trout for restoration in Lakes Erie and Ontario.

Following the hatchery tour ACNC guests will enjoy a rare, scenic drive across the top of Kinzua Dam followed with a picnic lunch at the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Visitor Center.

Lunch is “bring your own” or a box lunch can be ordered during registration.

Following lunch, the afternoon tour will be inside the heart of Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River, one of the largest dams in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It’s 26,541-acre Allegheny Reservoir is up to 135 feet deep and extends 25 miles to the north, almost to Salamanca.

The tour will conclude at 2 p.m., after which guests are welcome to explore the area on their own. It is only a short walk to the base of the dam where guests can experience a cooling mist or go fishing.

After exploring the tour area, guests are recommended to enjoy a scenic drive east on State Route 59 along the reservoir to the Jakes Rocks or Rim Rock Scenic Overlooks.

Be sure to dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Due to the number of steps and amount of walking required, the tours are not considered a handicap-accessible experience.

Children aged nine and up are welcome when accompanied by an adult.

Due to Kinzua Dam being a secure federal facility, preregistration is required in order to secure clearance from the USACE for admission.

Adult visitors, age 18 and older, must be US Citizens. To obtain clearance, each adult must provide 1) full name, 2) date-of-birth, 3) home address and 4) driver’s license number upon registration.

chlorines only need to provide full name and date-of-birth.

The behind-the-scenes tour of Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny National Fish Hatchery is an Audubon Exclusive, “a distinctive opportunity and unusual experience created to help fund programs at Audubon Community Nature Center.”

A donation for participation in the event to ACNC is $45. Remember, space is limited. The optional box lunch is $10 extra.

Deadline for reservations is Tuesday, September 24, and can be made by calling (716) 569-2345 during business hours or by going online to AudubonCNC.org/Exclusives. Additional details are available on the website as well.

“Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature by providing positive outdoor experiences, opportunities to learn about and understand the natural world, and knowledge to act in environmentally responsible ways. Visit 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, NY, and Warren, Pa., or online at AudubonCNC.org”