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Mehldahl Dam is located upriver from Cincinnati on the Ohio River, and Markland
Dam is located downriver. Although it has
not been birded regularly in the past, Mehldahl has attracted an unusual
number of rare birds, including Red-throated Loon, Red-necked Grebe, all the Scoters,
Iceland Gull, and Golden Eagle. Markland has been birded even less regularly, but has produced
Western Grebe and Black-legged Kittiwake as well as Scoters.
On a good day, from late fall through early spring,
you can find large numbers of gulls and a variety of other water-related species at either dam.
On a bad day, you may find the water nearly empty. Cliff Swallows nest at both dams, but the
areas are not noted for much else during summer.
To reach Mehldahl Dam on the Ohio side, follow U.S. 52 east from I-275 to the dam, about
4 miles past Moscow (where you may find Black and Turkey Vultures soaring overhead). There is a
raised platform at the dam, but you are much closer to the river, and the birding is much better,
from the Kentucky side. To get there, follow Kentucky 9 (the AA Highway) south from I-275.
Shortly after entering Bracken County, turn left onto Kentucky 2228, then right onto
Kentucky 8. After about two miles, watch for the very poorly marked turn to the dam, on the
left. Gulls often rest on a gravel bar about half a mile below the dam, and the brushy areas
between the bar and the dam are good for sparrows.
To reach Markland Dam, take I-71 south from Cincinnati to the Warsaw exit, Kentucky 455. In
Warsaw, turn left onto U.S. 42 and follow the river to the dam.
On the way, you will cross a wide, sheltered creek mouth, which is worth checking for
ducks and gulls. Unlike at Melhdahl, there is a road across the dam at Markland,
so you can bird from both sides of the river here. A couple of miles past Markland Dam is the
Ghent power plant, which attracts Black and Turkey Vultures in winter.
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