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Florida's Dam Spillways
Apalachicola River:
Jim Woodruff Hydroelectric Dam, Lock & Spillway
Chipola River:
Dead Lake Dam REMOVED in 1989!
Ochlockonee River:
C. H. Corn Hydroelectric Dam a.k.a. Jackson Bluff Dam
An Information, Opinion, Photos, & Sources Report
Compiled by Ocklawahaman Paul Nosca
With the assistance of Captain Erika Ritter
Created: 24 June 2013
Last Revised: 30 May 2015
NOTE: Click-on individual photos to enlarge them!
Largemouth bass exist and naturally reproduce in all of Florida's 67 counties. In almost all of this state (except where maybe it's too salty) you can dig a pond on your own property (if permitted and of suitable depth/size) that stocked largemouth bass will probably be able to successfully spawn and survive in. There is nothing unique about finding native largemouth bass in Florida. Trophy largemouth bass (10-lbs and over) are caught from time to time statewide.
Striped bass, however, have a completely different life history. Back in 1961 fishery biologists determined that only two waterway systems in Florida--the Apalachicola River (the Chipola River is its only long-length, spring-fed, swift-flowing tributary stream) and the St. Johns River (the Ocklawaha River is its only long-length, spring-fed, swift-flowing tributary stream)--contained naturally reproducing stocks of native striped bass.
Stripers in Florida are riverine fish which require about 50 miles of cool, free and swift-flowing large streams for successful spawning. Adult striped bass, which can weigh beyond 30 lbs, also require close-by access to aquatic refuge zones with summertime water temperatures no greater than 80 F (such as artesian springs and canopied tributary streams).
Apalachicola River
Jim Woodruff Hydroelectric Dam, Lock and Spillway
Upstream is Lake Seminole (37,500 acre pool at elevation 77 feet). Downstream is the Apalachicola River (tailrace elevation 40 to 68 feet).
Fall (head) at the dam averages 25 feet and is used for hydroelectric power generation.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv/?site_no=02357500&PARAmeter_cd=00062,72036,00054
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02357700&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02358000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
Chipola River
Dead Lake Dam
REMOVED in 1989!
USGS streamflow gage on free-flowing Chipola River near Altha, FL (54 miles upstream from its mouth):
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02359000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
Ochlockonee River
C. H. Corn Hydroelectric Dam
a.k.a. Jackson Bluff Dam
Upstream is Lake Talquin (10,200 acre pool at elevation 69 feet). Downstream is the "Lower" Ochlockonee River (tailrace elevation 28 to 49 feet).
Fall (head) at the dam averages 30 feet and is used for hydroelectric power generation.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02329900&PARAmeter_cd=72020,00062,62614
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02330000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
REFERENCE AS: Nosca, P. 2015. "Florida's dam spillways: Apalachicola, Chipola, and Ochlockonee Rivers" webpage report. "Paul Nosca's bass fishing photos" website. Paul Nosca, Eureka, FL.
Email: ocklawahaman1@gmail.com
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