New and struggling with power

[Hedonism Bot]

I'm new to the game and am confused by the water wheel and power. I've got a lumber mill setup with a water wheel and a power line directly to it. Why is my setup not working?

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1834669446709215278/B3C770859858F740400EC21644FE141089237097/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false

[NzFox]

It is probably a water flow issue, you should still be getting some power from it but I am not sure how much, the 'lip' of land is probably creating a eddy.

The faster the water flow the more power you get, if you build it a little bit further out or away from the lip you should get more power, you could use your dam to put in the middle and you should get good results. You can also artificially speed up water flow through narrowing the channel using levees, from what I have read the fastest is having a gap of 4 squares/2 water wheels in a section. While this obviously takes some time and wood to set up its easy to get 300-400% power from water wheels

[I'm Trash]

You have no current in that specific part of the river. You have to move it (Or put levees in the water to force a current) to a spot that has quicker flow of water

[Alcator]

Basically, water is trying to find a path of least resistance. You can build more wheels next to the first one, until the water has no option but to go through them; or you could direct the water with a few dams and levees into the wheel.

It's recommended to power the first Lumber Mill with Power Wheel (beaver-operated ground-based "hamster wheel"), because then you're independent of water wheel.

[City Builder]

is the wheel moving at all? if not u may need to build it further into the river.

I think i know this map and once I get dynamite I straighten out that shoreline

[Shazbot]

Water currents vary depending on location from the main source of water in that area. You picked a very calm area with little movement.

[Smashing]

If you look visually at the water, you can see where the flow is highest. Sit you wheel in there. An alternative is to build levees across the gap so the river becomes only as wide as your water wheel then the water will be forced to go past it and you will get the maximum flow rate (just ensure the river can handle go down a 2 wide gap, otherwise put 2 wheels side by side and make the gap 4 wide.