# Meldahl Dam Information



## Daniel Cline

Hello fellow fisherman,
First of all I am new to the forum and found this website through Kentucky Hunting forum on their fishing section. My name is Daniel Cline and I am an avid fisherman. I have lived in the Foster area my entire life of 28 years. I have fished for everything the dam has had to offer since I was able to walk. HAHA! I am currently employed at the Meldahl Hydro as a Power Plant Operator for the City of Hamilton, Ohio and have been here 2 years in April. I see where you guys are very interested in information about the Hydro. I have been reading this forum about 3 weeks and I have been very surprised at the amount of information you all share. I love to catch sauger and have been very successful thus far. I do not check this forum on a daily basis but if there is any information you all would like to know don't hesitate to ask and I'll do my best to answer any questions about the operation of the Hydro. A lot of you I see have asked about a generation schedule, Unfortunantly right now there is not a set schedule as we are under going the final stages of the commissioning process. Commercial operation will begin tentantivly May 1. Please be aware the main difference between the old and new situations is this. The water that flows through the dam is on the surface so you can visually see the water and its dangers. Water flowing through our turbines is approximately 40-50 below the surface of the water depending what the actual river level is. At any given time there could be up to 60,000 CFS (cubic feet per second) of water flowing through all 3 of our turbines. At some points especially during low flow times in the summer we will be running all flow through our hydro. The current is VERY swift under the water. It is not as calm as It seems on the surface. The water depth can be up to 110 feet in the middle of our channel on the fishing area side. Please be very careful at all times and don't step out into the water. Do not wade out in there like a lot of the guys used to do. Unit 3 is the closest to the bank and the current flowing through that unit is equilvilant to about 3 locks fully open. The rip rap is installed from the dam to the end of the (island) on both sides of the channel. The angle is very steep and drops off VERY fast. It is very dangerous if you get out in the water I cannot stress that enough. Please try to stay on the walk paths but use extreme caution if you decide to fish closer to the Hydro structure. Any questions you might have please feel free to email me at [email protected]. Good luck and be safe out there!!


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## nitsud

Welcome to the mess, and thanks for the info!


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## nlcatfish

Thanks for the information, especially concerning the FAST current. I have a feeling if all 3 generators are running there will NO way to keep your bait near the bottom. SO it looks like might have to fish the Sand bar again. It might be hard to even fish the Out floow even with 2 generator going all the time.


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## bugeyedcritters

Daniel Cline said:


> Hello fellow fisherman,
> First of all I am new to the forum and found this website through Kentucky Hunting forum on their fishing section. My name is Daniel Cline and I am an avid fisherman. I have lived in the Foster area my entire life of 28 years. I have fished for everything the dam has had to offer since I was able to walk. HAHA! I am currently employed at the Meldahl Hydro as a Power Plant Operator for the City of Hamilton, Ohio and have been here 2 years in April. I see where you guys are very interested in information about the Hydro. I have been reading this forum about 3 weeks and I have been very surprised at the amount of information you all share. I love to catch sauger and have been very successful thus far. I do not check this forum on a daily basis but if there is any information you all would like to know don't hesitate to ask and I'll do my best to answer any questions about the operation of the Hydro. A lot of you I see have asked about a generation schedule, Unfortunantly right now there is not a set schedule as we are under going the final stages of the commissioning process. Commercial operation will begin tentantivly May 1. Please be aware the main difference between the old and new situations is this. The water that flows through the dam is on the surface so you can visually see the water and its dangers. Water flowing through our turbines is approximately 40-50 below the surface of the water depending what the actual river level is. At any given time there could be up to 60,000 CFS (cubic feet per second) of water flowing through all 3 of our turbines. At some points especially during low flow times in the summer we will be running all flow through our hydro. The current is VERY swift under the water. It is not as calm as It seems on the surface. The water depth can be up to 110 feet in the middle of our channel on the fishing area side. Please be very careful at all times and don't step out into the water. Do not wade out in there like a lot of the guys used to do. Unit 3 is the closest to the bank and the current flowing through that unit is equilvilant to about 3 locks fully open. The rip rap is installed from the dam to the end of the (island) on both sides of the channel. The angle is very steep and drops off VERY fast. It is very dangerous if you get out in the water I cannot stress that enough. Please try to stay on the walk paths but use extreme caution if you decide to fish closer to the Hydro structure. Any questions you might have please feel free to email me at [email protected]. Good luck and be safe out there!!


Thanks for the info and welcome to the site. Have you fished the new pier yet? What are your thoughts on it?


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## boonecreek

bugeyedcritters said:


> Thanks for the info and welcome to the site. Have you fished the new pier yet? What are your thoughts on it?


Thank for all information and welcome. I.ed like to get together and u show me the trick to the new site thanks BoonreCreek.


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## Daniel Cline

bugeyedcritters said:


> Thanks for the info and welcome to the site. Have you fished the new pier yet? What are your thoughts on it?


The new pier.. It is ok for perhaps a "weekend" fisherman. For someone who fishes more than the average person it is not going to be very user friendly. The hand rails are tall making casting long distances harder.It is very difficult to land a fish of larger size more difficult. The one good thing is where it is located on that point there are 8 large concrete columns under water that serve as an anchor or support that bank. They are called "Shoreline Undulations." There is 5 upstream of the pier and 3 down stream of the pier. They extend about 100 feet out into the river and are 50 feet tall and 10 feet wide. They also serve as a current break for fish. I caught several crappie on the back side of these, I call them columns. . Honestly I will never fish from it other than hitting these undulations for an occaisional crappie. I personally enjoy fishing at the sand bar. I have had lots of luck there. Caught 8 sauger this morning in a span of about 3 hours. All about 14-18 inch fish.


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## Meldahl Jesus

Too bad the water isn't 110 ft deep ever in the channel and these columns u speak of are 50 feet tall? There isn't a spot that deep in the river from Pittsburgh to Cincy and I've fished nearly 10 dams on the river. Its not 50 feet deep down at the pier either bud...maybe a meeting with your co workers is in order so that you can present the proper facts. I walked the entire place after the hole was dug. Not saying your info isn't semi useful, just not accurate. I've talked to your boss numerous times and interviewed nearly every employee I could find. I've seen the plans. Sorry. Behind the pier is actually been the most productive spot as of late. Multiple limits and some good size fish also. As far as casting is concerned, I've made 100 plus yard casts off of it. Sandbar is great if you don't like feeling bites and if deadlining is your gig. I'm sure when we meet up there in person, we can discuss it. I may be able to help you out. Once again, I'm sorry to seem like I am blasting every bit of info you posted. Just need you to be accurate. Welcome to the site.


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## Daniel Cline

Im sorry replied off my phone the concrete supports are not 50 feet tall they extend about 50 feet off the bank.. Under the water.. Sorry for the confusion.  I do agree the back side of the pier is a great spot. Only trying to help.


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## Daniel Cline

I beleive we may be misunderstanding each other.. In my post when I refer to the channel I'm only talking from the edge of our structure to the end of the island no further.. The main point was only to try and warn people the water is very swift and to use caution when fishing. Let's meet and talk and perhaps we may have met before. Looking foward to it!


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## Daniel Cline

In regards to the depth.. Normal pool elevation is 455'(on the fishing area side) above sea level the bottom floor elevation of the hydro is 389'. Which gives about a 65' depth normally around the dam.. When the water is up to our deck which is 490' depth is right around 100 feet. That is only In flood situations. Depth around the fishing piers in normal pool is around 25-30 ft depend on where the pool is.. Does that make more sense? I'm trying to explain my original post a little more clear. I'm sorry if I was a little vague.


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## nitsud

Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. The mess found you.

Thanks again for the info. I know you're trying to keep idiots from killing themselves, and as a sometimes idiot myself, I appreciate your efforts.


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## kycreek

Thanks for the great info Daniel. Good to have a Hydro insider posting. I haven't fished it yet but hope to soon.


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## fallen513

Welcome!
we are lucky to have you as an asset. I don't fish up there much, but knowing someone on the inside is priceless. Thanks for reaching out. Have you seen or caught any big hybrids or stripers ?


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## cadyshac

I haven't been up there to fish yet but how many "good spots" are there? What I mean is can you catch fish for a couple hundred feet of the bank or are 2 or 3 guys going to be in the "sweet spot" and everyone else might as well go home?


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## Daniel Cline

fallen513 said:


> Welcome!
> we are lucky to have you as an asset. I don't fish up there much, but knowing someone on the inside is priceless. Thanks for reaching out. Have you seen or caught any big hybrids or stripers ?


I personally have not seen any of the big stripers like they used to catch at the old area ( I'll refer to old area meaning before construction started.) I used to love fishing top water.. I also fished spoons and getting the occasional blue cat bite. If I knew how to upload pictures from my phone is post some pictures.


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## Daniel Cline

cadyshac said:


> I haven't been up there to fish yet but how many "good spots" are there? What I mean is can you catch fish for a couple hundred feet of the bank or are 2 or 3 guys going to be in the "sweet spot" and everyone else might as well go home?


From what I've seen so far, it is hit or miss.. I will say this.. I think the fishing as whole will get better because:
The hydro itself has not started a constant operation. We are running but what I mean is we are bringing the units up and down and running a lot of different tests and are in a "information gathering" stage. What this means is as the river rises and falls and in return power production changes. To run as efficiently as possible depends on a couple different variables(blade pitch, blade angle, wicket gate opening amounts, and head differential amounts which is the difference in the upper pool and lower pool, and the amount of water or Cfs we allow to run through the plant). The units are basically 100% computer automated and tunes itself to run at the very best condition.. In order for that to happen we still have to go through a lot of tests in order to "fine tune" the automation system and customize each individual unit.. When this tuning process is finished and there is a consistant current flow 24/7/365 I believe the fish will adjust and more fish will hopefully move into the hydros flow path into the hydro's channel.. Naturally fisherman, through the lots of time and frustration, will adapt as well and figure out new ways and spots to catch fish with the given circumstances.. At the end of the day any bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work 99% of the time lol.


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## Daniel Cline

kycreekboy said:


> Thanks for the great info Daniel. Good to have a Hydro insider posting. I haven't fished it yet but hope to soon.


Your very welcome. As a employee but also a casual fisherman, if we can spread the right information to ensure a safe fun and productive fishing area that is accesible to the public for years to come! Or if I can't answer your questions I'm sure Meldahl Jesus can correct me. Haha!


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## Daniel Cline

Does this work if I post a picture like this?


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## Daniel Cline

Me in the orange and dad with a nice hybrid I beleive someone correct me if I'm wrong.


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## Daniel Cline

This picture of the fishing pier from the deck of the hydro.. The water level here is at normal pool level.. At the end of the pier the depth is about 18-20 feet.. As stated earlier the rip rap rock runs all the to the very bottom and up the other side on the island that separates our channel from the river channel and the actual dam..


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## Daniel Cline

As u can see it would be tough to pull a 6-10 lb or bigger fish up and over that railing on the pier. The island is in the upper left hand corner of the picture.. I'll upload an aerial picture to show the full layout and try to give a better explanation


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## nitsud

Daniel Cline said:


> View attachment 204693
> As u can see it would be tough to pull a 6-10 lb or bigger fish up and over that railing on the pier. The island is in the upper left hand corner of the picture.. I'll upload an aerial picture to show the full layout and try to give a better explanation


Could you drag the fish down the rail to the rocks back there? I probably should just finally go down there to check it out


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## Daniel Cline

nitsud said:


> Could you drag the fish down the rail to the rocks back there? I probably should just finally go down there to check it out


 Yes you could but if there is other people fishing or what ever the case it would be tough and an inconvenience.. I hate to say it but unfortunately there will be some unhappy fishermen when the big one gets away! haha!


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## Doboy

Wow,,,, you guys are SO LUCKY! *(I ordered the same deal for NC!)*
Up at NC, WV side, we only have a 30' long wing-wall to fish off of, & it's about 15-20' off the water. 
We usually have a drop basket to 'net' our fish. If we don't have one, we have to play leap-frog to get the fish down to the end of the wall and onto the rocks,,,, usually takes two people to get the fish!
Someone NEEDS to be a traffic cop, & everyone on the wall has to play fair,,, taking turns,,, specially when the big stripers are up close to the gait.
Most of the time, everyone plays fair,,, then somedays, you'll get a 'HARD-HEAD' in the middle who just won't budge,,,, he'll ruin the day for everyone,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, IF you let 'em! ;>)
I'll screw with 'em (verbal blabber) till he gives up & plays the game right! lol, So far So good,,, I haven't been in a fight, yet. 
No shots fired,,,,,,,,,,,


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## fishing247

Thanks for the info . This is AWESOME!!! Can you walk a long the rocks and fish next to the hydro wall?


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## Daniel Cline

fishing247 said:


> Thanks for the info . This is AWESOME!!! Can you walk a long the rocks and fish next to the hydro wall?


Yes you can fish next to the hydro wall but walking on the rip is really tough. As stated earlier from the bank to the center of unit 3 is only about 40 feet from the bank. With the high risk of falling or tripping on the rip rap and the very swift current you wanna be very careful fishing next to the wall. the concrete path ends about 150 feet from the hydro wall for this reason and discourages a lot of people from walking that far. but there is no rules or signage that says do not fish past a certain point. Goodluck! I'm glad to see there all the interest. I really would like to see more parking put in and even a small playground at the picnic area for the kids or while dad is fishing mom can take the kids to play if the kids aren't interested in the fishing or if they get bored. There is so much unused space they could have put a killer boat ramp and launch on the downstream side. But wishful thinking. I'm thinking about looking for a small lot and trailor to open a small bait shop/snack shack somewhere close to the dam if the interest is there and more fisherman start showing up.


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## marv




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## Doboy

Daniel Cline said:


> . Goodluck! I'm glad to see there all the interest. I really would like to see more parking put in and even a small playground at the picnic area for the kids or while dad is fishing mom can take the kids to play if the kids aren't interested in the fishing or if they get bored. There is so much unused space they could have put a killer boat ramp and launch on the downstream side. But wishful thinking. I'm thinking about looking for a small lot and trailor to open a small bait shop/snack shack somewhere close to the dam if the interest is there and more fisherman start showing up.



*Dan, That 'roach-coach' idea is a great one,,,, specially if it has a BAIT TANK around back! ;>)*
We're really hurting up NC,,,,, NO BAIT! Every one (3) went out of business,,,, "Too Seasonal". ?????
So,,,, maybe one on wheels would fix that!? (like Wallyworld, maybe even a fridge with worms, cutbait, etc?)

"Place for Kids",,,, "Boat Launch",,, Picnic pavilion, grills etc? Awesome Ideas. Thanks.

I would love to post a picture of one of my favorite 'Feeder River' spots. Maybe the picture would give others some ideas,,,, There are picnic pavilions, shore-line gazebos, BBQ grills & tables, walk/ exercise paths, Yak-canoe storage & small boat launch ramp.
Of course it's in PA! 
The Park & pavilions, grills etc are at the top of this picture. Shoreline gazebos in the park for night catfishing.
*& There's TWO close-by bait shops!*








This is a picture of the park that's on the Little Beaver River (also PA) and the nice ramp, docks, pavilion, swings etc that is provided;


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## Meldahl Jesus

All that I can say, is be careful how much info you put on this site. Unless you enjoy fishing in a crowded mess. Though this site is beneficial in leading anglers to where the fish are biting, it can be a double edged sword. The good part about it is that no one really knows how to fish the place yet, so it will be a learning experience for us all. Also there is no place like it on the river. My previous posts were not out of disrespect. Only to make sure the info is accurate, which you corrected. No harm no foul. As far as tackle is concerned, everything a guy needs for that place is for sale at marathon approx. 7 miles west of dam on AA hwy. Stocked and managed by a local fisherman who is at the dam nearly every morning during the week. I personally don't shop there much because I make all of my own lures, but it's still an option for people. As always, I will be available if there are questions of anyone wants to send a PM or posts. As I'm sure Dan will be also. Once again, I appreciate the schematics That have been provided. Very useful. Hopefully we all can figure this place out.


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## marv

Well said MJ. With this kind of advertising it will be elbow to elbow fishing.


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## nlcatfish

I have a BAD feeling once hey get all 3 generators running there will far too swift of current to fish the outflow. Then you might be back to fishing the sandbar.


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## Meldahl Jesus

Got a report this morning that most of the big female sauger are spawning currently. Lots of small males on sandbar. Some decent whites and also received a photo of an 8 lb. Hybrid caught down there. With the river dropping, should get better and better. Will be out myself this week or weekend and will be able to update as the river falls. I get daily reports from a few guys, so can help those who have a long drive optimize their chances. I'm thinking kind of the same things, NL, gonna have to play it by ear and see.


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## nlcatfish

Any skipjacks showing up at the sandbar or out flow?


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## Meldahl Jesus

Haven't heard or seen any yet, but i will keep you in mind and keep my ears open.


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## nlcatfish

THANKS! MJ


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## Abu65

Thanks for the info. Have you seen any skipjacks being caught yet?


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## Meldahl Jesus

Caught one on accident last weekend down where the rocks and the sand meet. Big American Eel caught too


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## nlcatfish

Really do not like the idea of eels in the river. Looks like another mess that will only get worse.




Meldahl Jesus said:


> Caught one on accident last weekend down where the rocks and the sand meet. Big American Eel caught too


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## nitsud

What's the problem with eels? Pretty neat critters.


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## Meldahl Jesus

nlcatfish said:


> Really do not like the idea of eels in the river. Looks like another mess that will only get worse.


They are endangered and actually native to the river systems around here. Haven't seen one besides this in 20 years so I think we will be ok


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## nlcatfish

Meldahl Jesus said:


> They are endangered and actually native to the river systems around here. Haven't seen one besides this in 20 years so I think we will be ok


That is good news We do not need another problem like the Asian carp.


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## Salmonid

I figured you were thinking of lamphreys when you made that comment


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## BMustang

^^^ Looks like a relative of the bowfin.


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## Dan Cook

Meldahl Jesus said:


> Too bad the water isn't 110 ft deep ever in the channel and these columns u speak of are 50 feet tall? There isn't a spot that deep in the river from Pittsburgh to Cincy and I've fished nearly 10 dams on the river. Its not 50 feet deep down at the pier either bud...maybe a meeting with your co workers is in order so that you can present the proper facts. I walked the entire place after the hole was dug. Not saying your info isn't semi useful, just not accurate. I've talked to your boss numerous times and interviewed nearly every employee I could find. I've seen the plans. Sorry. Behind the pier is actually been the most productive spot as of late. Multiple limits and some good size fish also. As far as casting is concerned, I've made 100 plus yard casts off of it. Sandbar is great if you don't like feeling bites and if deadlining is your gig. I'm sure when we meet up there in person, we can discuss it. I may be able to help you out. Once again, I'm sorry to seem like I am blasting every bit of info you posted. Just need you to be accurate. Welcome to the site.


yes you are right the water is not even near 110 deep no way at all


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## boonecreek

Dan Cook said:


> yes you are right the water is not even near 110 deep no way at all


Dan Cook u got to let me know when I can go the next time u go. Work is got me slamed right now . Brother in CHRIST


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## Daniel Cline

As far as depth I am on talking solely around the structure.. It's about 100-110 feet on the UPPER side of the plant in front of our intake screens. It is about 70-80 on AVERAGE on the lower side in the middle of the channel.. As the river reaches flood stage levels the depth of course increases..This photo was taken about 2 years ago when the outer coffer dam was still in place.. Again this depth does not extend any further than about 100-150 yards below the channel.. Now let me try to explain how I am coming up with this based on surveyed elevations.. The operating deck which is the area on top the hydro is at elevation 490' above sea level.. The 3 openings you see in the picture of course are the discharge areas of each turbine is 385' feet above sea level.. The normal pool of the river normally runs on average at 455' above sea level. Around the structure the depth is going to be about 50-60 feet deep (455-385=70). Because the army core of engineers has to maintain a channel depth of the upper pool they have to maintain a 12 foot pool on the upper side.. The lower pool which is the side that the fishing area is on, fluctuates a lot as we all know.. All I was trying to point out is that it is deeper than most people realize and as the picture shows the current is very deep! Where as at the dam locks you see the water on the surface.. At the hydro, because the discharges are so deep it is much more deceiving.. I hope this clears it up.


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## Daniel Cline

It seems like I may have caused some confusion on the depth and I apologize.. In no way did I intend for this to happen.. I'm not saying it is 110 feet deep every where u cast on any given day.. The only place where it is 110 feet deep is directly in front of the hydro where our intake screen are and there is no access to that haha... But in flood stage conditions the depth can potentially reach that high of course I don't beleive none of us will be fishing in those conditions however it is a public area and people will be coming down there to look around and will be very dangerous road.. We actually got topped 3 times last March and the water came 8 feet over top our deck. That was a very tense time.. The plant is designed for water to flow over the top. But it is a very weird feeling when you are underneath knowing water is flowing directly above you! Haha happy fishing guys. Again look forward to talking with you all.. Hope this helps only trying to help!


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## nitsud

Again, no worries. It's just the internet...

That's a cool pic! Thanks for it and the explanation. How is the flow regulated? Giant metal gates?


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## Daniel Cline

nitsud said:


> Again, no worries. It's just the internet...
> 
> That's a cool pic! Thanks for it and the explanation. How is the flow regulated? Giant metal gates?


Flow is regulated by wicket gates.. They over lap which when closed allows not a drop of water through them.. I hope you can see them in this picture of unit 2 which is down right now due to a planned outage for a post completion inspection. The units allow a maximum of 20,000 cubic feet of water per second.. We also control blade pitch and angle to always run at maximum efficiency.. Head differential is our main concern.. That is the difference of the upper pool and lower pool..the higher the amount of head the more water pressure there is in order the spin the blades to produce power. At Meldahl we have the most head differential out of all hydros on the Ohio river which is 30 feet.. That is why i use elevations as the factor when trying to explain the depth of the water.. The upper pool is always around 485' and the lower pool at maximum efficiency is at 455' (normal pool) thus giving us that 30 feet number..of course the lower pool is always changing. We can run all the way down to 5 feet of head.. When the lower pool rises until it is at 480' elevation. That is when the river gauge is at about 32 feet I'll have to double check that..  That is why the plant is deeper than all other hydros on the river because it is of course the largest at 105 megawats.. AMP (American municipal power) is the main company involved and they are building 4 new plants at Willow Island(40mw), Smithland (65mw), Cannelton (85mw), and of course Meldahl (105mw).


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## Daniel Cline

That is me. I'm 6 feet tall








That is the emergency closure gate which closes in case the turbine starts to over speed.. On the other side of the is well the water so as you can see it does a good job of sealing of water. There are also huge bulkheads we place in the very front and very back which are a total of about 80 feet tall in 4 sections. Hope this gives you an idea of all tall just the draft tubes where the water comes through the plant is.


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## kycreek

Great pics. I can relate somewhat after working at a coal fired plant for 30+ years. Still haven't wet a line down there but I'm coming down sooner or later. Did a drive by last weekend and there were lots of people there then. Good weather got everybody outside.


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## Daniel Cline

Worked at at DPL stuart and killan for 2 years and worked at Kentucky Utilities Ghent station for about 5 before coming to work here at Meldahl. I do miss the coal plants but these hydros are so much less stressful, clean, and safer..


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## kycreek

I'm sure it is. So much less supportive equipment. I'm @ Spurlock & believe one of our old employees work down there with you.


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## Salmonid

Great info. Thanks. Maybe i missed it but how many if those props are in the hydro? I was thinking 4 is that right?
Salmonid


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## Daniel Cline

Yes I do work with A good guy from spurlock.. There are 3 turbines each with 4 blades.


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## nlcatfish

When are they going to have aall 3 turbines running?


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## Daniel Cline

All 3 units are now commissioned and operational.. Right now unit 2 is down for 6-8 weeks for post test inspections.. Then unit 1 then unit 3... So we expect to see all 3 back in service sometime around in July.. of course then you start to see low river levels and we may be forced to shut off if the core doesn't allow us to run.. This is when you will see all of the water passed strictly through the hydro. We are running more water through the hydro than the dam now.


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## nlcatfish

That means a very very strong current in the out flow. not sure you could keep your bait down at all.


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## Daniel Cline

With all 3 units running, the maximum water flow through the plant is about 60,000 cubic feet of water per second. There are about 7.5 gallons of water in a cubic foot. That's about 650,000 gallons a second..I don't have a solid example to compare that to.. Bottom line crapload of water


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## nitsud

It'll be like a hot tub! A deadly hot tub!


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## cadyshac

Daniel if you have any more pic's to share please post them, thanks for all the info!


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## crappiedude

nlcatfish said:


> Really do not like the idea of eels in the river. Looks like another mess that will only get worse.


They are not new to the river. We used to catch a few during the winter months back in the late 70's fishing from the bank. I haven't seen one in years but I don't fish the river much these days and when I do it's only from a boat.


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## Doboy

nlcatfish said:


> That means a very very strong current in the out flow. not sure you could keep your bait down at all.


That's the exact situation that we have way up River, in Pa. & with the NC Dam on the WV side (with it's non-functioning-properly gait)* Massive currents along the fishing wing-walls, platforms & walkways.*

IF the bank/ shore FISHING design took the heavy, maximum flow in consideration, (lol) I / they would'a built the shoreline farther back, with a breakwall 'point' jutting outward, creating an upriver backwash along the walkway.
*THEN, YOU WOULD CREATE A FISHING PARADISE! (like) A highly oxygenated Backwater cove, chuck full of feeding, spawning BAIT & GAME fish.*

*Like at our up-river spots,,,, the wipers, whites & stripers,,,, the fish that LOVE that heavy current, will still be there,,,, mostly feeding in the 'far side seams'. Good Luck reaching them.
(potato gun launchers might help! )
AND when the temps are right, the huge shad WILL be close to shore by the thousands., all along the rocky shoreline. I couldn't even remember how many I snagged while cranking in my plugs, jigs & sonars.
'WE' just have to fish farther down stream,,,, searching out any type of Nook & Cranny that creates a backwash seam~!
ANYWAY,,,,, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS,,,, UP NORTH. *


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## Daniel Cline

Hey guys here is a good pic to show the depth around the plant!! That is a 65 foot manlift fully extended you can see the lighter section on the concrete ramp to make reference to where that is now and get an idea of how quick it drops off.. Note this is in 2014 and that path is no longer there and the slope on the right side is much steeper now .. Now do you guys beleive me! Lol


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## Daniel Cline

This is the intake or upstream side


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## Daniel Cline

A good website to find more information is www.amppartners.org


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## kycreek

Interesting.......


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## cadyshac

Thank you!


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## Doboy

*AWESOME info
Daniel, WE ARE BLESSED WITH YOUR INPUT.
Greatly appreciated *
TVM


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## Bigguy513

Absolutely incredible. How cool!


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## fallen513

Killer.


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## fallen513

nitsud said:


> What's the problem with eels? Pretty neat critters.


Poisonous.


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## fisherboy

Poisonous?? Come on now. They are supposedly tasty.


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## nitsud

Yeah, pretty sure they're venomous, not poisonous.


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## Bandy

So ITS FINALLY OPEN!?!?!?!?! Way behind the times here I know.....


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## Bandy

Well I answered me own question last Monday......


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## catliner

Bandy...how did you do?


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## Bandy

Not bad at all. Fished the sandbar. The gear I had was loaners so I was way outgunned by the highish water and current. Have an active thread about that night if your interested.


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## BMustang

I made my first trip to the "new Meldahl" tonight. Only checked it out. Did not fish.

E for effort on the roads, lights, rest room facilities, etc..
Not nearly enough parking for peak periods, and signs prohibiting parking on the grass.

The fishing area and the paths created to get down to the fishing area must have been designed in a board room.
The paths leading to the fishing area are laid out like the Great Wall of China, snaking back and forth until you finally reach your destination - a quarter of a mile from your car. Somewhere the old "shortest distance between two points" mentality was lost on the designers. If this is supposed to be handicapped assessible, Good luck to them! Getting back up the hill to the lot is going to be a chore.

A few folks fishing tonight - no one catching.

The tragedy of the "new Meldahl" is that fishermen in boats or on land are now *COMPLETELY* cut off from the actual dam gates. The buoys will keep boaters far away from the action, and the power plant building completely eliminates fishing close up to the dam. Dam shame!

Our friends from Greenup Dam and others I am familiar with that have dam access, would get a lot of laughs from the "new Meldahl" design.

A lot of money was spent on installing all of the walkways, riprap, etc, but the bottom line is, unless the white bass are running, there aren't going to be a lot of fish caught. It will be interesting to see if sauger will show up in the fishing areas come fall and winter.


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## Eatsleepfish

I've been meaning to post a report for some time now and can finally do so. I have been to Meldahl 3 times in the past 2 months. First, let me start by saying the place does look quite nice. The bathrooms are surprisingly clean and everything is new and fresh looking. As others have stated the switchbacks down to the pier are rather ridiculous. I wish they had put stairs in along with the path to get the best of both worlds and speaking of the pier... what's the point? It follows parallel to the shoreline rather than go out into the water so it doesn't really provide any benefit in my opinion. 
Now for the fishing. My first time out was a couple months ago when the water was at 27ft and pure chocolate milk. The turbines were running and the current was crazy fast. Despite the insane current, people were still nailing hybrids and drum from the wall on down along the pathway. While I got skunked that day, I did hook up with a large paddlefish which gave me a 500ft walk and 10 minute battle before popping free. What a blast on light gear! My second trip was last week. Water was around 14.5ft with great clarity. Much to my surprise the turbines were shut off and the whole fishing area was as calm as a lake. I messed around the pier for an hour since there was some current, but only got a tap. I was about to chalk it up as a bust, but decided to check out the area closer to the wall and found large schools of shad 10-30ft in diameter. I would watch these schools get busted for the next 3 hours. The fish were quite picky and even though the feeding activity was high I only managed 5 wb(11-13.5in) a 14in hybrid and a dink smallie. I lost 2 others. Curly shads and lipless cranks did the magic. 
My 3rd trip was today. Once again the turbines were off and after speaking to a local about them, I learned that they are broken, but may be up soon. Is there any way to find out if they are running or not beforehand so I don't drive an hour plus for nothing? The activity was much slower today. I picked up a 13in wb near the pier and probably 3 hours later I picked up another while my brother picked up 2 himself. The last 3 were caught near the wall again when schools of shad could be spotted. These were all much smaller as well. 
All in all when the turbines are running that place should definitely be a great fishing spot. I will be back when they are up and running again.

I didn't take many pics since nothing was too exciting, but here are a few...





My brother's first Ohio River fish.


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## BMustang

^^ Many, many more to your brother!!!

Gotta love his shirt - That's the spirit.


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## Eatsleepfish

BMustang said:


> ^^ Many, many more to your brother!!!
> 
> Gotta love his shirt - That's the spirit.


That's actually my old shirt from many years ago  Lol


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## wormNbobber

Ifished the Ohio side not much luck, 2 small cat and my first sauger. Is the fishing better on the KY side


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## machujanga

Was out on the KY side last night w/ my brother and friend. Live gills were being shred around the tail, but was unable to see what was doing the damage. Any ideas what kinda fish feed like so? Gills were about hand-sized and hooked thru the upper mouth.


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## Ajax

Sounds like gar hitting your gills. I visited Meldahl this week. Still catching some hybrids and whites. Baitfish are getting hit hard at the surface. They only have one turbine running right now.


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## fallen513

Bump. This thread should be a sticky.


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