For a number of decades, the art of hydraulic modeling has been an important tool in solving complex hydraulic problems. It entails, with a degree of sophistication that varies with the objective of the investigation, the use of a scaled model for replicating flow and fluid transport processes in diverse natural flow systems and for evaluating the performance of hydraulic structures. A lack of understanding of physical processes or complex boundary conditions in many fluid mechanics/ hydraulics problems which are not amenable by numerical or analytical techniques is investigated by physical models. Physical model studies are indispensable tools to optimize various dam components and appurtenant structures. The present paper includes one case study of a dam project in which the importance of hydraulic model studies conducted on a 1:70 scale 3-D comprehensive model for evolving the hydraulic design of spillway, energy dissipator arrangement, and plunge pool downstream of the ski-jump bucket has been discussed.