TPWD 1955 F-3-R-2 #166: Inventory of Species Present in the Sabine River, Texas

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Ki; 51“.; "11' , o H ”" '< '3‘" “ii". , b.“ LEE; *" \\& reason on: l. 1.95:: a m May JGB CQMPLETEON REPORT "by Robert J; Kemp, Jr: ‘1‘le Inventory of species present in those portions of the Sabine River which lie within and along the borders of Van Zandt, Wood, Upshur, Harrison, Panola, and 'Shelby counties, Texas, OBJECTIVES To determine the distribution of species present, their relative abundance, and the ecological factors influencing their distribution, METHODS AND PROCEDURES Water Analysis: The pH, Chlorides, Dissolved Oxygen, Dissolved Carbon Dioxide, Turbidity, and Total Alkalinities were run at various stations, Ecolog- ical data were also collected in conjunction with the basic survey, Seining: The most frequently used method of collecting fish was by seining: Collections were made with a 30 x 6 foot bag seimeof-fi inch mesh: The fish were preserved in lO% formalin and later counted, identified and recorded in the lab— oratory: There were MS seining stations on the river preper and three on creeks on the watershed: In the upper portion of the river, collections were made at all bridge erossings: Further down it was found that crossings were too far apart, so collections were made by boat at approximate 5 mile intervals in Harrison, Panels, and Shelby counties: Hoop Netting: Hoop nets were used for cells ting larger specimens when the river was on a rise, with fish moving up stream: The nets were 8 to 1% feet long, 3% to 5 feet in'diameter, and l to 3 inches mesh: All fish were weighed and counted at the river. Game Species were brought back to the lab for stomachs and lengt -weight studies: ‘ Gill Netting: Gill Nets were used in l0 lakes on tie watershed, one over” flow lake, and on one occasion in the river when the water was werv low, The ne+s-were1125 feet long and 8 feet in depth, with mesh from 1 to 3 inches, All fishwere rsighed and countedo some fish were brought back to the lab for stomach and length-weight studies, Retenone Collections: Rotenone was used on two occasions for collecting the “fish when the river was in holes during the summer.months, A few species collectu ed in this manner were not taken by other collection nears: RESULTS Water Analysis: fine results oflxwater analysis are shown by station on 2. Table #1. Van Zandt and Wood counties, where the river bottom has been invaded by black silt, showed a high turbidity, high alkalinity (Ca CO3), and high pH. Chlor— ides in this area were low. The lower portion, from Upshur through Shelby counties through the sandy, Pine Forest Belt, showed a low pH, low turbidity, and low al- kalinity. Chlorides in this area, due to many local oil wells, were relatively high. Watergurface temperatures in the river as a whole ran from Mao F. to 960 F., a range of 52 F. FISH COLLECTION RESULTS A total of 120,660 Specimens;made up by 77 different Species were collected in the Sabine River and its watershed from Van Zandt through Shelby counties. Table #2 shows the distributiOn and abundance of each species by station, and the total number of each species collected. A key to collection stations follows Table #2. Map #1 shows the location of each of the 59 collection stations. The 2&0 seining collections took llh,l8h fish. Notropis lutrensis was by far the most abundant single Species, making up 57% of the seining collection. NotrOp- is sabinae, NotrOpis buchanani, and Pimphales vigilax each made up slightly more than 10% of the total. All other Species each made up less than 2% of the sein— ing collections. - f The 206 hoop net sets caught 385 fish. The total catch was small, but this was the only method available for catching larger specimens when the river was running. There were 308 gill net sets taking a total of 5,820 fish. The great major» ity of these sets were in club and private lakes on the watershed. The species taken here were added to the checklist, but numbers were not compared for relative abundance. The value of these collections was the distribution records of the Species collected. The lakes varied in size from 10 to h,000 acres. The two largest lakes were Cherokee (4,000 acres) and Gladewater (900 acres). Reports on individual lakes were made for lake owners, but will not be included here. All the lakes had an abundance of Spotted sucker and/or shubsucker, black and/or _yellow buliheads, and bluegill. Some had large populations of shad. Only one, Gladewater, had a large crappie population. Two Rotenone collections accounted for 2&1 specimens. The Eel, blue cat, and two species of darters were not collected by other methods. Both collections shows high buffalo and carp pOpulatlons, With few bass and crappie. The alkaline turbid waters of Van Zandt and Wood counties contained Etheostoma whippiei, Percina carpodes, Lepomis humilis, Elassoma zonatum, Ictalurus furcatus, Schilbeodes mollis, Schilbeodes noctrunus, Anguilla rostrata, and Notropis umbre— tilis, whichmwere not found further down stream. The clear, acid waters of Upshur, Harrison, Panels, and Shelby counties contained Lepisosteus platostomus, Hybopsis aestivalis, NotrOpis amabilis, NotrOpis maculatus, Etheostoma asprigenis, Amocrypta Clara, and Amocrypta vivax, which were not found up stream. Notropis sabinae and Pomoxis nigrdmaculatus were rarely taken in the turbid alkaline waters. COEFFICIENT OF CONDITION DATA All game fish taken in beep and gill nets in river proper were worked for coefficient of condition. Table #3 lists lengths, weights, and coefficient of con- dition of the game species. The game fish were in very good condition, probably due to the large numbers of forage fish present. STOMACH ANALYSIS A total of 62 game fish stomachs were analized for seven species. All stomachs which were not empty contained one or more forage fish. It is inter~ esting to note that:minnows were the only identifiable item found in any of the stomachs. Table #h shows average results of stomach analysis. OBSERVATIONS The Sabine River has a tremendous forage fish population,.mostl; min- nows, and a lack of predators to feed on them. Both Spotted and largemouth bass are scattered up and down the river, but are few in number. Both species of crappie are in excellent condition and are probably the most numerous game species in the Sabine River. Catfish are almost nonexistent in the river as of the time of this writ— ing. Very few of any species were collected in the river itself Commercial fishermen have caught very few over the past several.months. Most people liVing on the river claim that illegal fishermen using electrical devices cleaned all the catfish out when the water was low in the summer of 195h. Buffalo, drum, and carpsucker are probably the most abundant of the large Species in the river at the present time. They are most frequently taken by commercial fishermen. SUMMARY 1) 77 Species of fish were collected by all methods during this inventory. 2) watershed lakes have common problem of suckers and bullheads. 3) There were llh,l8h Specimens taken by seining, with NotrOpis lutrensis the.most abundant species. h) Certain Species were found restricted to the turbid, alkaline waters up stream, while others were restricted to clear, acid waters further down. 5) Minnows and other forage species are very abundant, but few predators present to feed on them. 6) Bass and crappie wide spread but few in numbers. 7) Catfish of all species very scarce. 8) Buffalo, drum, and carpsucker probably the dominant Species in the river. 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Hammqog werme gasosywz mmH-om aflflmmsam mwm:oam pwo wwmnpmam mwmsamm pwu Hmmmwgo Ommuowa afihm mdmana mfimmmyo mpwgz 0mm.:: mefl-wo .mem owm-wma. mamnmmw mwmmwho Momam Npmimja mmwm cmppomm .aHa mmm-oma mmfim mpfiofimwhwg TABLE #u STOMACH ANALYSIS RESULTS Species Number Number Average Average Non Empty Volume Forage Fish Pomoxis ann,ularis 33 15 10800 208 Pomoxis nigro—meculatue 9 2 103 3°6 MicrOpterus selmoides 5 5 U 0 Mieropterus punctalatus 8 h 100 165 Lepomis macrochirus 2 2 O O Lepemis aaritus l l O O Aplodinotus grunniens h l lOS 207 O I O Q300hSCfi\fl47LUIDEJ 10. O I. Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine KEY TO SABINE RIVER COLLECTION STATIONS IN TABLE #2 River River River River River at State Hwy. W, at State Hwy. 19, 9 mi. NE Wills Point, Van Zandt County 8 mi, NE Edgewood, Van Zandt County at County Rd. 5 mi. NNW Grand Saline, Van Zandt County at State Hwy. l7, h mi. W Golden, Whod County at U.S. Hwy. 80, h mi. W Mineola, Wood County a", Kim-Juan Club Lake, 3 mi. NW'Mineola, Wood County Rockfall Club Lake, 5 mi. NE Mineola, Wood County Woodvale Club Lake, 5 mi. E Mineola, Wood County Sabine River at Hwy. 69, 3§~mi. S Mineola, Wood County 'Sabine River at State Hwy. 1A, 2 mi. S Hawkins. Wood County Sabine River 6 mi. NE Lindale: Smith County Sabine River at State Hwy. 155, 2 mi. SW Big Sandy, Upshur County Lake Fork Creek at Hwy. 182, 5 mi. E Alba, Wood County Lake Fork Creek at Hwy. 80,8 mi. W'Hawkine, Wood County Little Sandy Creek at Hwy. ’80, 2§~mi. W Hawkins, Wood County Gladewater City Lake 3 mi. NW Gladewater, Ubshur County Sabine River 1 mi. S Longview, Harrison County Sabine River 3 mi. SE Longview, Harrison County Sabine River 7 mi. S Halleville, Harrison County Sabine River 10 mi. SE Hallsville, Harrison County Overton City Lake 1 mi. W Overton, Rusk County Cherokee Lake 6 mi. NW Tatum, Rusk County LonguGlade Lake ll mi. NW Tatum, Rusk County Nix Club Lake lO‘mi. SW Tatum, Rusk County Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine r‘ Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine River 8 mi. River River 12 mi. S Marshall, Harrison County 13 mi. S Marshall, Harrison County River Hwy. #3, 5 mi. NE Tatum, Panola County River 7 mi. River River River River River River River River '8 mi. NE Tatum, Panola County NE Tatum, Panola County ENE Beckville, Panola County NE Beckville, Panola County ENE Beckville, Panola County N Carthage, Panola County 6 mi. NX Carthage, Panola County 6 mi. NE Carthage, Panola County 7 mi. NE Carthage, Panola County NE Carthage, Panloa County 9 mi. 8 mi. 8 mi. 7 mi. Sabine River 7 mi. ENE Carthage, Panola County 3-H Club Lake, 3 mi. W Carthage, Panola County Dixie Club Lake, 3 mi. SW Carthage, Panola County Sabine River 81mi. E Carthage, Panola County Sabine River 8% mi. ESE Carthage, Panola County Sabine River 9 2mi. SE Carthage, Panola County Sabine River 13 mi. Se Carthage, Panola County Fish Lake Slough, Sabine River, Panola County Sabine Sabine sabine Sabine . ,Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine Sabine River River River River River River RiVer River River River River 9 River River River 7 mi. NW Joacuin, Panola County a mi. NW Joaquin, Panola County 3 mi. NNW Joaquin, Panola County 2 mi. N Joaquin, Panola County 5 mi. ESE Joaquin, Snelby County 8 mi. SE Joaquin, Shelby County ll mi. SE Joaquin, Shelby County 13 mi. SE Joaquin, Shelby County 1% mi. E Shelbyville, Shelby County 16 mi. E Shelbyville, She by County mi. NE Goober Hill She by County 7 mi ENE Goober Hill, Shelby County 7 mi. ESE Goober Hill, Shelby County 7 mi. SE Goober Hill, Shelby County