TPWD 1954 F-3-R-1 #27: Job Completion Report: Basic Survey of the Sabine River within and along the Boundaries of Gregg County, Texas

STATE Texas »4 fl *3 PROJECT NO. F~3~Rul, see gig PERIOD July l, 1953 m May 1, l95u Job Completion Report by Robert J. Kemp, Jr. TITLE Basicfisurvey of that portion of the sabine River within and along the boundare ies of Gregg‘County, Texas. OBJECTIVES To gather fundamental data on the above waters in regard to their physical, chemical and biological aspects. METHODS The Sabine River in Gregg County was visited in conjunction with Job B«?. In all, five.stations were observed and conditions noted. RESULTS Gregg County is typical East Texas land of sandy loam, clay and ferrous rook soils. The length of the river is approximately fifty—one miles in this County and approximately ninety percent of the area drains into the River. Cultivation.nas fore merly widespread in this area but due to oil discoveries, most of the land is in pasm tore or is idle. Approximately twenty—five percent of the county is mixed pine and hardwoods. The fluctuation of the river annually is great but there is always flare ing water even during drouth years. The Geology Survey of the Department of the inn terior has a river gauge station at Gladewater where the drainage area of the Sabine River at that point is 2,8h6 square miles. Their records Show the discharge varying from 13.2 second feet in August, l939 to a maximum of 23,390 second feet in April, 1945. Due to the fluctuation of the water level, squads vegetation was limited to willow (Salix nigra) and button bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). The p3 of the water had a range of 6.5 to 7.2 with an average of 5.8. In March lQSh dissolved onye gen varied from 6.9 to l0.0 ppm and dissolved carbon dioxide from h to 9 ppm. Total chlorides ran from l3h.7 to 23h ppm. Turbidity raried from less than 25 ppm. to 420 ppm. during the study period. A_typical locality was Station No. 5, located just above highway 271 bridge. The water flow is fairly slow; the bottom is sand and silt; shoreline iseand and clay with a 300 lepe and the river is approximately 75 ft. wide at this point with an average depth of three ft. The only aquatic vegetation present was scattered wil~ low with an occasional clump of grass on the bank. All the seining collection data taken at Station No. 5 is shown on the Fish Cards at the end of the report. water analysis data areshown in Table No. l. l. The area studied was the Sabine River in Gregg County. 2. Surrounding land is sandy loam and clay, typical of east Texas. 3. River fluctuation is great but there is always flowing water even during drouth years. h. River is sand and clay bottomed, usually acid, varying from clear to turbid with sparse aquatic vegetation. 5. A typical locality had moderately fast water over a hard sand bottom. Shore line waSEand and clay with a few scattered willows. water depth averages three feet and width of river is 75 feet. 3. Table Number 1 Sabine River Station #‘5 water Analysis 'Surfacel' Sate a... _ Sky _. Wind _ _ _. Sir Temy- _ .4...» _. _ Sal: __ 7f15/53 2:30 PM Clear None 96oF 879F tee. 6.8 8/26/53 2:00 PM Clear 10-20 5 97°F QlOF None 6.7 . o - 9/23/53 2:00 PM Clear None 89 F 760E None 6.9 .. O i . 10/23/53 3:00 PM Partly Cl. 7S F 66oF 60 6.5 0 o .. r“ 3/29/5S 3:50 PM Partly Cl. None 87 F 72 F 10.0 4.0 Nonelel d 710_ o . 5/ll/5S lO:p)AM_ Rainy NE 5 mph 7S F SAGE S20 6.8 Fish Card Coll. No. - S 5l . Species Number Locality ~ Sabine River, Sta. 5 Spotted bass l5 Date — 7/15/53 Largemouth bass h Collector — R. J. Kemp, Jr. Yellow belly sunfish 8 ime — 2:30 P. M. Gizaard shad 9 Description Notropis lutrensis 29 Shoreline: sand and clay with 300 slope NotrOpis sabinae l scattered willow and grasses NotrOpis venustus 5 Hottom: sand and silt Notropis amabilis 3 Cover: None HybOgnathus nuchalis 18 eather: Clear and hot Notemigonus crysoleucas l 'ater temp: o Turbidity: none Pimephales vigilaa ll surface - 87 F Phenaccbius mirabilis _t egetation: none _ Gambusia affinis h *ackle: Bag seine; 26 x 6, %“ mesh Amocrypta vevax l lh-species_- _ specimens ”ll3 PiSh Card oll. No. - 8-52 Species Number locality - Sabine River Sta. #5 Spotted bass 5 mate a 8/26/53 Largemouth bass 1 ollector ~ R. J._Kemp, Jr. Longear sunfish l2 lime — 2 P. M. Spotted sucker l nescription (same) Gambusia affinis 3 Shoreline Notropis lutrensis 10 Bottom Notropis venustus 2 Cover Notropis amabilis 9‘ Weather: clear, warn,windy Hybognathus nuchalis l2 water temp: Turbidity: none Fundulus notatus l Surface — 9lDF, Vegetation: none 10 spnies . specimens 56 Tackle: Bag seine, 26 x 63 e"_mesh l l a E I Fish Card - Coll. No. S~53 Species Number Weight Locality - Sabine River Sta.-#5 ' White crappie 3 0.87 10. Date — 8/27/53 Longear sunfish 6 0.87 it Collector — R. J. Kemp, Jr. Time — 3 P. M. ' Description (same) Shoreline Cover Bottom Weather: Clean hot Water temp. Turbidity: none Surface w 9OOF Vegetation: none Tackle: 2hooy Fioh Card Coll. No. S—5u Species Number Locality - Sabine River Sta. #5 Gisaard shad 2 Date — 9/23/53 Fundulus notatus 8 Collector — R. J. Kemp, J}. Notropis amabilis #2 Time - 2 PM Description (same) Shorehne Cover Bottom Weather: clear, warm 3 species specimens 52 water temp: Surface — 76oF, Turbidity - 40 ppm Vegetation: none .ackle: Ba: se°a¢, s . of _- SS t. Fish Card Coll. No. Su55 Species Number Locality - Sabine River Sta. #5 Largemouth bass 2 Date - l0/23/53 Spotted bass 3 Collector m R. J. Kemp, Jr. Yellow belly sunfish 17 Time — 3 PM Fundulus notatus 18 Description (same) Pimephales vigilax 3 Shoreline Cover Bottom Weather: clear to partly Water temp. cloudy 5 species, specimens S3 Surface _ 66oF Turbidity — 60 ppm Vegetation: none ... . S. flf? 3:: ;f7!c '" ’. ... Fish Card Coll. No. 8-56 I Species Number Locality _ Sabine River Sta. #5 Spotted boss 10 Date a 3/29/5h Longear sunfish 3 Collector w R. J. Kemp, Jr. Bluegill 2 Time: 3:30 P..M. Spotted sucker 1 Description (same) Hybognathus nuchalis 2h Shoreline Cover Pimephales vigilaa 12 Bottom Weather: partly cl. Notropis deliciosus 9 water temp. warm, no wind Notropis atherinoides58 Surface YEQF Turbidity, under 25 Notropis lutrensis 3 Notropis Sabinae 2 l _ Notropis roseus l9 " mesh___ “ _ ll Species_ svecimens 43 Vs station — n n Tackle e a; seine, 2__x 6 5. Fish Card 0011. No. 8-57 Species Locality . Sabine River Sta. #5 Gizzard shad Date u 5/11/5t Drum Collector _ R. J. Kemp, Jr. Black crappie Time — l0 A. M. ' warmouth Description (some) Channel cat Shoreline Black bullhead Bottom Cover Weather: cloudy, rain, no wind Water temp. Surface BhQF Vegetation - none Tackle — lO hoop nets, 6 net w 1 inch mesh 1 net m 2 inch mesh Hamper i—JI‘Ji—JHm-P?‘ OQOOPH'NE (12‘ Lo otteraotiito ‘HJRDCDCDFS 5—3: ""4 HQ {313' {or 1...} 0" {Is