This is what I call the "4 Tunnels", a place at the end of Apple Street where a large volume of clear spring water flows into the GMR all year long. Although this flow does blend with contaminating storm water runnoff after a rain, it still normally creates a pool of clear water where a large variety and quantity of native fish congregate. Both water quality and temperature play a facture in luring native fish to this location as the temps stay much cooler than the GMR in summer while flowing warmer than the GMR in winter.
I believe that it is important to capitalize on the clear clean spring water that flows from these tunnels by building a buffer peninsula at the end of the mouth that would keep it from merging with the water of the GMR until traveling further downstream. By pulling the materials to construct the peninsula from the pool side and the GMR channel, both areas will be made deeper and able to support an even greater variety and quantity of fish.
The peninsula could be made high enough to protect this pool during all but the highest water levels.
You can even spot the clear water in this photo, and see it more easily on Mapquest.
This is a photo of where the Wolf Creek converges with the GMR. Although the water quality of the Wolf Creek is not that of a clear cool spring, it has been shown to be consistently better than that of the GMR and hosts the native fish to prove it. The small pool that forms as the water from the Wolf Creek makes its final drop int the GMR is a consistent hot spot for large smallmouth bass. Even with only a moderate depth, and somewhat poor access to the main channel of the GMR, this small pool has produced as many as three 2 pounders at one time as well as a total of nine total smallies on another (caught by me and my fishing partner in 2010).
I would like to see this area become the final "hurray" for the Wolf Creek by deepening and extending this pool before it blends with the GMR further downstream. By pulling materials from both the pool and the main river channel, excellent fishing opportunites will be created on both sides of the new peninsula.
In this photo, the dark green just above and left of the blue area is the existing pool where water from the Wolf Creek is entering the GMR. Most of what will become the new deeper extended pool (blue area) is now gravel that is above water except during heavier rains.
This cement ship structure located downstream from Riverscape (YMCA sits below in photo), provides another simple opportunity for creating improved fishing in the GMR.
Creating a small pile of rocks and gravel on the upstream(right) side of this structure would divert the river around the structure and prevent it from blending with a substantial cool clear spring feed. This spring does empty into the GMR at the downstream (far left) end of the "ship", but it would be easy to divert the flow up into the newly formed pool (between the ship and the wall) if necesssary.
There would be limited access for larger equipment to reach this site to construct the "end cap", but smaller sized equipment could easily get the job done.
This rock pile would also serve as a bridge to provide access to the cement ship which would then provide an opportunity to fish from the ship in the main river channel.
Immediately upstream from this site, the river is very shallow and the bottom covered with small to medium size rocks. Although this wall already provides for some excellent fishing, digging out occasional pockets would provide more structure and attract more fish. Currently, the water level along the wall is only about one foot deep.
The smaller clear spring that empties into the GMR at the right side of the Main Street bridge would not be worth fooling with were it not for the bridge support sitting out in the river. Since the spring feeds into the GMR at the upstream (right) side of the bridge, a pile of rocks and gravel at that end would capitalize on the bridge support to help create a fairly large pool of spring water that would not blend with the GMR until passing downstream beneath the bridge. Additionl rocks could be piled on the downstream side to make this pool even bigger.
There are many places along the GMR, as it flows through Dayton, that would benefit from having trenches dug perpendicular to the shoreline. I chose this stretch for my photo because it has easy access for a large excavator to travel along the bank, has ample parking for future fishermen, and has the ideal river conditions to benefit from this project.
Have an excavator with a long reach and large bucket extend out into the river and dig a deeper cut into the river bottom. The material in the bucket would then be placed on the side of the trench, creating even more structure change. The excavator would then proceed along the bank, and dig out another trench in the river bottom, depositing the bucket contents on the edge of the trench. These deeper pockets could be created all along certain areas of the shoreline of the GMR, providing improved cover for both game fish and their prey and subtle changes in current that river life thrive on.
They may fill back in over time, but I feel it is worth trying this to see how much effect it has on attracting and supporting fish, and to see how long the trenches remain in the river bottom.
The Great Miami River, while flowing through Dayton Ohio, offers up surprisingly decent smallmouth bass fishing. I believe that there are some simple changes that could be made at little to no cost that could turn decent into spectacular, and draw fishermen in from all outside our area.
Below are several photos and explanations that describe what could be done with nothing more than access to an excavator and operator. All materials to build these structures would be pulled frrom the river which would further contribute to improving the area as a smallmouth fishery by creating deeper pockets of water.
The gray arrows show where rock and gravel would be scooped from the water to form the structures.
My fishing partner and I have caught well over 100 bass this year and close to two dozen in the two pound range. We have caught as many as 17 in one outing, and constantly run into other fishermen who have similar experiences to tell about. (read two more ideas I have at the bottom of this page . . . below the fish photo section) Click here to read my ideas for keeping litter out of our waterways.
Downstream from 4 Tunnels
Wall at RiverScape . . . right in the heart!
Straight from 4 Tunnels pool ! Largest of 2010???
Downstream from 4 Tunnels
Wolf Creek at GMR (note gravel in front of current small pool)
Across from downtown. This stretch could really benefit from trenches! It has the rock/gravel and current, but no depth or structure.
Caught along wall down from RiverScape.
Caught along wall down from Main Street bridge.
Caught along wall . . . well you read the sign!
Downstream from Stewart St. bridge.
Couple more nice smallies from the mouth of the Wolf Creek!
In conclusion, I also have a simple plan for removing floating scum from the surface of the river, as well as a low cost alternative to circumventing the low dams on the GMR.
The scum collector would utilize a floating screen to direct small floating material to a collection site. The screen would allow larger, heavier pieces of debris to pass under it. An additional heavier screen with wider openings would angle away from the collection area. This screen would divert larger pieces of debris away from the collection area, while allowing floating scum and small particals to pass into the collection area.
At the end of the collection area, a water wheel will turn in the current that is allowed to pass under the collection area, well beneath the water surface. This water wheel will be attached to a wide spiral water pump that will collect a one inch deep portion of the water from the surface of the collection area with every turn. The scum laden water will feed through the spiral causing enough pressure to build to force the water through a pipe and up into a filter, far above and away from the surface of the water.
My plan for circumventing the low dams would involve leaving the entire dam in place, but notching out one small section about one foot lower than what it currently is. This cut out area would be best to be placed at one end of the dam. Now all, or most of the water will pass through this cut out gap, and not flow over the rest of the dam.
Next, a twenty foot long section of large diameter corrugated pipe will be cut lengthwise into three sections, each containing 120 degrees of arch of the original 360. These three sections will be joined end to end to make a nearly sixty foot long shute that curves up on each side. This shute will be anchored above the dam, and supported underneath below the dam for its entire length. A pile of rocks and gravel could be placed upstream of teh shoot to help direct kayaks into the shute. With most of the flow going through the shute, there would be little or no current drawing boats to the dam itself, and little or no turbulence below the dam. The ride down the shute may be fast, wild, and exciting . . . but would be quite safe.
A series of poles/bars located upstream of the dam, run at an angle from the shore to the dam could be used to divert large trees and pieces of debris from entering the shute.
There are concerns and issues that would need to be addressed, such as what happens when river levels are up, but that is just part of the process . . . and this is my starting point.
