TPWD 1960 F-5-R-7 #542: Basic Survey and Inventory of Species, as well as Their Distribution in the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in Region 3-B, Texas

Report of Fisheries Investigations Basic Survey and Inventory of Species, as well as Their.Distribution in the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in Region 3-3, Toxas by Jemes Wilcox Assistant ProJect Loader Dingell-Johnson Project F-s-R-T, Job 3-16 . April 16, 1958 - March 31, 1960 HG.D. Dodges w Executive-Secretary Texas Game and Fish Commission Austin, Texas Marion Tools Keoneth Co Jurgens & William H. Brown Coordinator Assistant Coordinators ABSTRACT A total of 152 gill nets were set and 39 seining collections were made to collect 9,023 specimens of fish representing 31 species from the Clear Fork of the Brazos River and its watershedo Desirable game fish populations were found to he exceedingly scarce in the river but more abundant in lakes on the water- shed° Redhorse shiners (Retropis lutrensis) and stunted sunfish were found to he the most numerous species in the river while gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)9 channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), and small white crappie (Pomoxis annularis were found to be very prevalent in the lakes on the watersheda The principal fisheries prOblems were, in general, found to be excessive populations of gizsard shad, river carpsuoker (Carpiodes carpio) and stunted orappie and sunfish and widespread salt water pollution emitting from oil wells, which has apparently reduced considerably, or completely eliminated game fish populations in several localw itieso Jab Completion Report “3? 9 State of TEXAS Project No, F-§~R~7 Name: Fisheries Investigations and Survexs of the waters of Region 3-B. Job Non B~16 Title: Basic Survex and Inventorz of Species: as well as Their Distribution in the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in Region 3~Ba Texas Period Covered: April 162 1958 a March 312 1960 OBJECTIVES To gather fundamental data on the above waters in regard to their physical, chemical; and biological aspects and to determine the distribution of the species present? their relative abundance and the ecological factors influencing their distributionc PROCEDURE The Clear Fork of the Brazos River and its watershed was divided into upper and lower regions on the basis of its physical and botanical aspectso All physi~ ca1,chemica1 and biological data were organized and analyzed in relation to the location from which they were collectedo A total of 152 nets were set and 39 seining collections were made on the complete watershedu Of this total 13h netting collections and 32 seining collections were made in the region designated as the upper watershed and 18 netting collections and 7 seining collections were made in the region designated as the lower watersheda A greater nnmber of netting and coining collections were made in the upper region than in the lower region because in the npper region there were more lakes to set nets in and more water suitable for seiningg Altogether there were 29 seining collections taken from the riverg 5 seining collections taken from tributaries to the river and 5 seining collections taken.from lakes on the watershedo There were 12 netting collections taken from the river and 1&0 nets were set in lakes on the watershedo Netting was impossible in the riveris tributaries due to shallow water and narrow creek bedsa Some of the netting collections from lakes were obtained in conjunction with other Dingellm Johnson worko ' The nets used were experimental type gill nets‘9 125 feet long and 8 feet deep with five 25mfoot sections of webbing ranging from lwinch to 3~inch square mesha Five types of seines were employed in making seine collections“ They included a 12' X a? commonsense seine} a 20“ X 69 commonsense seine? a 309 X 6* bag seine with fiwinch mesh, a nylon straight seine measuring 509 X 69 with fininoh mesh, and a nylon straight seine measuring 100* X 69 with éwinch mesho Specimens collected by seining were taken to the laboratory for identification and studyo Samples of each species were preserved in a 10 percent formalin solutiona Specimens collected by netting were examined in the field for stomach contents and sexual development and were weighed and measured in order to obtain growth and condition informationo All data collected was recorded on fish collections forms in-the field and later combined and tabulated in the officeo Temperature? pH; and turbidity was recorded at every third stationo water samples were also collected but it was found that reasonably extensive water analyses data were available by combining records obtained from the Texas Board of water Engineers, the Texas Health Department and the United States Geological Surveyn Physical and botanical Observations were also made at various netting and coining localities during the course of the surveyo No rotenone treatment of pools was attempted on the river or tributaries because of flowing water or the danger of flowing water in case of raino It was feared that this flowing water would cause fish eradication on private property where permission had not been obtained to conduct such worko FINDINGS Although the division of the Clear Fork of the Brazos River into upper and lower regions was done on the basis of the physical and botanical characteristics found in each regiony the exact line that was selected to divide the two areas had to be chosen in a more or less arbitrary mannero No sharp line of topographical change exists? although there is a definite change in the topography and ecological aspects of the upper and lower regionso The most logical place to divide the waters shed was found to be at the Lenders Dam which is located almost on the county line between Jones and Shackelford Countieso This line extends upward between Haskell and Throckmorton Counties and downward between Taylor and Callahan Countieso Using these county lines as a division point between the upper and lower watershed of the Clear Fork of the Braces River? Haskell? Jonesy Taylor? Fishery Nolan? and Scurry Counties are in the upper regiono Throckmortong Shackelfordg Callahanj Youngy Stephensy and Eastland Counties are in the lower regiona Physical Characteristics Upper watershed e The ulcer Fork of the Braces River arises in the soothe eastern part of Scurry County from a series of small springs which flow sporadically and only in periods of heavy moistureo The river in this area is actually more like a creek? dry much of the time with shallow banks and a narrowbedo Permian red soils prevail in this area and much of the land is in cultivationo When the river flows in this areay it usually contains much red and brown colloidal sues pensiono As the stream progresses through Fisher and Jones Counties a multitude of creeksy many of which arise in Nolan and Taylor donutissfl9 are added to the waters sheds This additional drainage area tends to create a more permanent stream, with wider banks and greater flow in the eastern part of the upper Clear Fork of the Brazos River watershedo This terrain is also for the most part flat cultivated land but contains more rolling pasture in the eastern areaso ht Nugenty which is the eastern extremity of the upper regiony average annual runoff figures for a period of 3006 years equalled 9137Y0 acre feeto The minimum flow recorded during this period was 73830 acre feet and the maximum flow recorded was 518§OOO acre feeto Lower watershed a The Clear Fork of the Brazos River below the Lenders Dam is a wider, deeper stream bed that often contains flowing watero The stream bed is primarily packed sand with limestone projections and there are many large trees along the banksa The water in this region is usually very clear and the stream is more deserving of its name as it continues further eastc The vegetative cover on the black and gray soils of this regiong the permanence of water, and the presence of many farm tanks and ponds are probably the main reasons for the less turbid waters of the arena The terrain in the lower watershed consists mainly of undulating pasture, and ranching is the chief land useo At Fort Griffin, near the eastern extremity of the lower region; the average annual runoff figures for a period of 3008 years equalled 173,300 acreefeeto The minimum flow recorded during this period was 6,370 acre feet and the maximum flow recorded was 711;OOO acremfeeto Aguatic and Shoreline Vegetation Upper watershed m Aquatic vegetation in the upper region is limited to various forms of algae and a few patches of bulrushes {Scirpus3y which are located near the eastern extremity? above the Lenders Damo Shoreline vegetation is likewise limitedo mosquito is common and willows9 hackberriesp chinaberries and pecans are widely scattered at various locations along the upper watershedo Sunflowers.9 and various weeds and grasses are the principal shoreline vegetative typeso Lower watershed w Besides various types of algae? the principal types of aquatic vegetation in the lower region appear to be muskgrass (Chara) and coontail (Cerat0w phyllum)o The shoreline supports a profuse vegetation with larger mesquitesy pecans, hackberriesfl chinaberriesy post oaksy and willows being the more common treeso various grasses, vinesy and brambles are also abundanto w and Water Qualit“t Because pollution and bad water quality occur in scattered areas in the waters shed? according to where sources of pollution existg no attempt will be made to give the results of this investigation according to upper or lower regionsg The primary sources of pollution were found to be oil wellso Salt water escaping from these walls and invading the subwsurface water supply or flowing directly out of the ground appears to be the pollutant most seriously affecting the aquatic environmento Chlorides were found to be present up to hfiyBGO popomo in one artesian spring on the banks of Galifornia Creche California Greekp which is the main tributary of the riser Fork of the Brasos River? and.the river itself were the only places where water quality and pollution data was Obtainedo This water quality data was obtained from the Texas Board of Water Engineers; the Texas health Department; and the United States Geological Surveyo Other areas where saltwwater pollution was found to exist included the Glear Fork near Roby and near Eliasvilley and the Old Hamlin City Lakeo Old Hamlin Sity Lake is apparently devoid of all fish except for some very salt tolerant specieso It has been stocked several times with-bass and catfish from the state hatcheriesg'but evidently these fish have not survivedo Effluents going into the river near Leaders have been found to be primarily the washings from a limestone quarry and may even be beneficial to certain specieso The largest shad found in any locality along the river were collected near the point where the effluent was being dischargedo Figures Efi through.§2 give a more complete account of the water quality of the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, Insufficient dissolved oxygen was not common and appeared to he a minor fishery problemo The pH values ranged from 7,1 to Bah, while 7.? was the average readingo For more Specific and complete water quality information, the reader is referred to the above named figureso Fish Pepnlations The results of the netting and seining collections can best be given in the following annotated species list and the fishery charts included in this reporto An index to all charts, maps, and pictures is included in this report immediately proceeding the fishery chartso Figure 10 gives a complete summation of seining results, while Figure 39 gives a complete summation of netting resultso Fishery information pertaining to more specific areas of the Clear Fork of the Brazos River watershed can he located by referring to the included index, A total Of 9,023 specimens of 31 species were collected, These 31 species represented 11 families and 20 generao Annotated Species List: w Lepisosteidae (gars) Lepisosteus osseus (longnose gar), This species is very dominant in some sections of the lower part of the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. Some stretches of stream in the lower area have apparently been practically denuded of small fish by this species, The gars in those sections were Observed to be rather poor and on the average, weighed only one poundo In one particular netting location in the lower river, gars were so active and perhaps so ravenous that there were approximately 20 of them in the gill net before the survey crew had it completely set out, There were no gar taken in the upper reaches of the watershed and none collected from lakes in either regions, Thus, considering the whole river, its tributaries, and the lakes on the watershed, gar accounted far only 20h5 percent of the total fish nettedo Clnpeidaen(herrings) Dorosoma cepedianum (gissard shad}, This species was aboundant in both netting and seining collections composing 9,e2 percent of the total seining sample and 23u95 percent of the total netting sample, This was the highest percentage, by number, of any species taken by netting, The river, itself, was particularly heavily infested with this species, with over 35 percent of the fish taken from the river being shade They were large averaging over 10 ounces, while the shed taken from the lakes averaged only 2,5 ounces, Catostomidae (suckers and hnffalofishes) Ictiohns buhalus (smallmouth buffalo), Most netting stations in the river yielded this species, hut they were not as prevalent in the lakeso This species has a high commercial value and is netted commercially in Lake Fort Phantom Hill” The difficulty of access and netting in the holes in the river, where the majority of this species exist, prevents a.more wideescale commercial utilisation of these fish from the Clear Fork of the Brazos. Carpiodes carpio (river carpsucker). This is the dominant sucker in nearly all West Texas waters. They were taken both by not and seine and were widely dis— tributed throughout the watershed. The presence of this species constitutes a serious fishery problem in some lakes on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River drainage, . especially since no utilization of the species by either man or fish has been ob- served. ' Cyprinidae (shiners and minnows) Cyprinus carpio (carp). This species is sub-dominant to the river carpsucker but does constitute a fishery prOblem in lakes where it occurs. Carp have more utility than river carpsuckers and they are becoming more and more fished for in many West Texas lakes because of their large size, tremendous strength, and willingness to fight when caught. . . - Notemigonus crysoleucas (golden shiner). Although this species was taken by not and seine, it was taken only from lakes. It is not believed to be native in the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, or its watershed, but is known to have been introduced as a forage fish by the state fish hatcheries. ' Notropis lutrensis (redhorse shiner). This is the dominant shiner in the Clear Fork of the Brazos River and its tributaries. They constituted over us percent of the fish taken by seining for the whole watershed. These minnows are particularly abundant in the sporadic, intermittent streams of the upper part of the Clear Fork. Notropis volucellus (mimic shiner}. Only nine specimens of this species were collected from the complete watershed. They were collected from a number of different types of habitats, but were always in very much of a minority. Five were collected from lakes and four were collected from the river and they were taken from both the upper and lower watersheds. Notropis buchanani (ghost shiner). Only two specimens of this species were collected. These collections indicated that the fish prefers running, muddy waters. Pimephales wigilax (parrot minnow). Nearly all of the 1&9 individuals of this species collected were taken in the bigger waters of the middle and lower reaches of the river. Some localities in the lower river were saturated with these minnows. While taking a collection from the Fitt Taylor Ranch, in the lower river, thousands of these minnows were observed trying to swim up stream into the water pouring over a small dam. Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow). This species was found in abundance in the upper reaches of the river and appears to be dominant over the parrot minnow in this area while the trend is apparently reversed in the lower river. Ameiuridae (freshwater catfishes) were obtained by seining and netting in the river and its tributaries. The species was very abundant in netting collections taken from the lakes and composed almost 23 percent of the number and almost as percent of the weight of the total netting sample. This fish is very much sought after by West Texas anglers and is frequently stocked from the state fish hatcheries. Ictalurus melee (black bullhead).‘ This species was taken by not and seine from both the river and the lakes. It appears to be more abundant in some of the smaller lakes, which apparently have no flathead catfish, than in any other waters. Ictalurus natalis (yellow bullhead). This species appears to be more prevalent in the river than in the lakes and was very much outnumbered in the fish collections taken from the lakes by the black'bullhead. Pylodictus olivaris (flathead catfish). This very desirable food fish is much sought after by anglers and apparently serves as an effective bullhead control in lakes where it occurs. Only four specimens of this species were collected, but this is attributed to a fault in the means of sampling (is. the small meshes of the nets used are not effective in capturing this species) and to the probability that these fish lie on the bottom in a lethargic state for long periods of time. These fish are known to be taken by anglers in several of the lakes on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River watershed where they were not taken in the fish collections. Cyprinodontidae (killifishes and topminnows) Fundulus notatus (blackstripe topminnow). The only locality in which this topminnow was coined was a tributary of the lower part of the river. Fundulus kansae (plains killifish). This species was collected from the Old Hamlin City Lake which contains large amounts of chlorides which are believed to be the results of nearby oil wells. The killifish was not taken from any other locality. Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis (Red River pupfish). This species appears to be the dominant fish in the Old Hamlin City Lake where the water is too salty for most other species and was collected only from this locality. Poecilliidae (mosquitofishes) Combusia affinis (mosquitofish). The mosquitofish is common in backwater sloughs and quiet pools throughout the watershed. They were the second most common fish in the seining collections, and are considered to be very desirable to man because of their practice of eating mosquitos. Serranidae (basses) Roccus chrysops (white bass). This species is not indigenous to the Clear Fork, but has been introduced in some of the lakes on the watershed. Although not many of these fish were collected, Fort Phantom Hill Lake is known to have a large population. Centrarchidae (black besees and sunfishes) Micropterus salmoides (largemouth bass). The evasive nature of these fish makes them difficult to capture in note and seines. It is therefore difficult to arrive at an accurate estimate of their occurrence. The data collected would indicate, however, that they are much more common in some of the lakes than they are in the river. ChaenObryttus gulosus (warmouth bass). One fish of this species was taken from Lake Daniels on the lower Clear Fork watershed. These fish are often stocked by the state fish hatcheries. Lepomis cyanellus (green sunfish). This sunfish is common throughout the watershed and is a desirable species to the angler when it attains a reasonable size. However, very few of these sunfish collected were large enough to be fished for and some individuals, only 2minches long, were full grown, sexually ripe, fish. Lepomis microlophus (redear sunfish). This is one sunfish that generally attains a desirable size in West Texas waters. Only a few individuals of this species were collected. These were probably present because of hatchery stocking and very likely not native to the stream. Lepomis macrochirus (bluegill). This is the dominant sunfish in the Clear Fork of the Brazos drainage and was abundant both in lakes and in the river. None of theSe fish were of a desirable size, prObably due to overpopulation. Some individuals were sexually mature at a length of two inches. Lepomis humilis (orangespotted sunfish). Even under ideal conditions these sunfish do not attain a very desirable size, and all of the individuals collected from the Clear Fork.were extremely small. This species is apparently subordinate to the other native sunfish. Lepomis megalotis (longear sunfish). This is one of the more dominant sunfish species in the Clear Fork. They appear to prefer running stream areas, but were very abundant in the upper reaches of the river whether the water was running or was standing in pools. These fish, like the other species of sunfish, appeared to be stunted. ‘ Pomoxis annularis (white crappie). Practically all the bigger waters of the Clear Fork and its watershed contained white crappie. They were particularly abundant in the lakes. However, not many were collected that were a desirable size. Pomoxis niggomaculatus (black crappie). Two specimens of this species were taken from Lake Sweetwater. They were very large crappie and in very good condition. It is nearly certain, however, that these fish were stocked in that reservoir and are not indigenous to the watershed. Percidae (perches and darters) Porcine caprodes (logperch). This apparently unimportant species was collected only from Lake Trammell on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River watershed. Since this fish is hard to collect by seining, it is possible that this was present in some of the other seining localities but missed. Sciaenidae (croskers, drum, and weakfishes) dplcoinotus grunniens {freshwater drum). This species was taken from only two lakes on the watershed. These fish are apparently hard to sample by the use of seines and gill nets as very few have been collected in lakes that are thought to have relatively high populations. 1 Prepared by James Wilcox Approved by 2 EEM/zé : Assistant Project leader Direc or Inland Fisheries Division Date August 8, 1960