TPWD 1960 F-6-R-7 #541: Basic Survey and Fish Inventory of Four Small Lakes of the Middle Nueces River

Report of Fisheries Investigations Basie Survey and Fish Inventory of Four Small Lakes of the Middle Nueoes River - by Charles T. Mann _ Assistant Project Leader Dingell-Johnson Project F-6-B-7, Job 3-16 . July 1, 1959 - December 31, 1959 H. D. Dodgen - Executive Secretary Taxas Game and Fish Commission Austin, Taxas Marion Tools Kannsth C. Jurgsns &'William H. Brown Coordinator Assistant Coordinators A B S T R.A C T The fish populations, chemical and physical features of two lakes and a portion of the Nueces River (in the northern part of Zavala County) were studied during this segment. Rough fish, primarily gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), smallmouth.huffalo (Ictiobus bubalus), gar Lepisosteusflgp.), and freshwater drum (Aplod- inotus grunniens), were found to be dominant in the three bodies of water studied. Adverse weather during this segment prevented much needed field work. Therefore. in order to complete the stated objectives, this job will be continued into the next segment. Job Completion Report State of TEXAS Project No. FwomeT " Name: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region ”B _ Job No. B~l6 Title: Basic Survey and Fish Inventory of Four Small Lakes of the Middle Nuaces River ' ' Period Covered: July 12 1959 e December 31. 1959 _ OBJECTIVES To determine the physical, chemical and ecological conditions and the fish populations in the finesse River lakes in Zavalay Dimmit and La Salle Counties. PROCEDURE Tracings of the lakes studied during this period were made from aerial photow graphs obtained from the U. S. Department of Agriculture. ASC office in Carries Springs. and the U. S. Department of Agriculture SCS office in Crystal City. Experimental gill nets (lEEefeet in length by Safest in depth with varying mesh sizes) were used to sample the fish populations; also. small mesh minnow seinea were used in some instances. Netted specimens were weighed {in grams) and measured {in millimeters) in the field. Sex and state of sexual development were noted and recorded in the field. Also; stomachs were analyzed for food content. Seined specimens were preserved in 10 percent formalin solution and taken to the regional fisheries laboratory for identification and tabulation. water samples were tested for M. O. alkalinity and pH. Turbidity readings? in terms of light penetration in inches measured with a Secchi disk; were made and recorded. FERDINGS AND DISCUSSION Comanche Lake Comanche Lake. located about four miles southwest of Crystal City} Zavala County. is formed by an earth fill channel dam on Turkey Creek. a tributary of the Nueoes River. This lake is used primarily for irrigation but it also serves the boating and fishing needs of the people in the area. Since most of the people who use this lake are local residents, no commercial development has taken place. At the time this lake was visited (September 1959}. it was full. The banks are sharply cut and lined with retama. ash. and willow. fish keep the water roiled and floodwaters clear out most of the vegetation that bee comes established along the shoreline. Three types of aquatic vegetation were seen in this lake; duckweeds (Lemma £23), cattails (Typha latifolia), and pondweed (Potamogeton sp,). In several still water areas, heavy growths of duckweeds were observed which will, in time, be ashed out by floodwaters. Four experimental gill nets, totaling 500 feet of varying mesh sizes, were set over night in an effort to inventory the fish population. A total of 278 fish of 10 species was collected in the four nets. Figure l, which shows the number and percent of the ten species collected, reveals that gizzard shad (Dorosoma ce edianum) comprised over half of the total number of fish netted. The rough fish compriSed 9.93 percent by number and game fish comprised 10.07 percent. The seven species of rough fish comprised 9h.30 percent by weight (see Figure 2). Smallmouth buffalo (Ictidbus bubalus) ranked number one by weight, comprising 31.98 percent. In one seining collection, 58 fish of four species and 5 freshwater shrimp were caught. Bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) represented 86.21 percent of the fish taken. Thus, rough fish appear to be dominant both by number and by weight. One water sample was analysed for methyl orange alkalinity (126 p.p.m.) and pH {7.6). Insufficient chemicals prevented making tests for dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide. Turbidity readings, in terms of light penetration in inches measured with a Seochi disk, ranged from lln to lhuinches. Four readings were made, one at each netting station. Espantosa Lake This lake is located downstream from Comanche Lake on Turkey Creek ( or an old Nuance River channel). Espantosa Lake is also used for irrigation purposes in this area which is known locally as the "Winter Garden". The lake is formed by a concrete channel dam and was full at the time of this survey. The shoreline of this lake, like Comanche, is lined with dense growths of retama, huisache, willow, mesquite, and live oak trees. Aquatic vegetation is sparse. Several small patches of Sagittaria'_p. and Potamogeton _p. were found in the still water_of several sloughs. However, the turbidity of this lake as compared with Comanche Lake was considerably less. Four netting collections took a total of ll3 fish of eight species. Rough fish were found to be dominant in this lake. They comprised 73.h5 percent by number and 72.26 percent by weight, according to the netting samples. Figure 3 shows the numbers Of fish collected in the nets and Figure h shows the weights of the fish. One water sample was checked for methyl orange alkalinity and pH; the alkalinity was 162 p.p.m. and the pH 8.2. Secchi disk readings, which were made at the four netting stations, ranged from 29w to thwinches with an average of approximately MOW inches. Nueces River In conjunction with the-survey of ESpantosa and Comanche Lakes, four netting and two seining collections were made on the Nueces River, north of Grystal City, in an effort to determine the status of the fish population in that portion of the rivero A total of 6l fish of eight species was collected in the four gill nets and 129 fish of seven species were collected in the two seining collections, 0n the basis of these netting collections, the game fish (crappie Pomoxis annularis and channel catm fish Ictalurus punctatus) are more abundant in this portion of the river than in either Comanche or Espantosa Lakeso These two species comprised ##026 percent by number and 33,07 percent by weighto Figure 5 shows the numbers of fish, by species, taken at each netting station, and Figure 6 shows the weight.of the fish collected, According to the net catch, channel catfish ranked first by number and by weighto Gizsard shad appeared to be abundant in the river just as they are in Comanche and Espantosa Lakesa Several species of fish that were found in the lakes were not found in the river; one species, Taxes grey redhorse (Moxostoma congestun) was not found in either lake but it was collected in the Nueces River, This species was recorded previously in the area (see Project Fwome3, Job Bel, Table 2, page #3, The two seining collections produced evidence that indicates the presence of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in the river although none was taken in the nets, The specimen Collected was a fingerling which would indicate that it was spawned in the summers Tidewater silversides {anidia ber llina) were the dominant species taken in the seining collections, They comprised over 0 percent of the collections, Redhorse shiners (Notropis lutrensis), parrot minnows (Pimephales vigilax), bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus), Rio Grande cichlids (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum) and Gambusia (Gambusia affinisj accounted for approximately 40 percent of the fish collectedo Fire Secchi disk readings were made at various places on the river; they ranged from 36%m to h8mincheso This relatively clear water should prove helpful in estabw lishing a good base population and fishery,provided the water level stays fairly constant, The banks of the river resemble those of the lakes in this area in that they are sharp cut and are lined with pecan, live oak, willow, and wild mulberry treeso This part of the Nueces River, in Zavala County, flows in a general northesouth direction, The width of the river, in northern Zarala Gounty, ranges from less than lOOefeet to over 300efeeto CONCLUSIONS The data gathered during this period, clearly indicates the abundance of rough fish present in the Nueces River as well as the two lakes studiedo In View of the fact that these waters are subject to severe floods annually, renovation would not be feasibleo Since Dimmit and Zavala Counties are included in the South Central Texas Regulatory Authority Area, Game Commission biologists recommended the use of hoop nets, trammel nets, and gill nets with meshes not less than three inches square in an effort to reduce the numbers of rough fish by utilizing these species, Adverse weather conditions during most of this segment prevented field work on this 30130 Only three field trips were made concerning work on this jdb; one was a mapping trip and the other two were for the purpose of netting, seining, etc, In order to complete the mapping and field work, as stated in the Job Description, this jdb will be continued into the next segment. Prepared by Charles Ter Menu Approved by 2 E: W v/p—eflg/ Assistant Project Leader Director Inland Fisheries Division Date July 1, 1960 Numbers of fish collected in experimental gill nets, from Comanche Lake, September 1959 Figure la Species h"_iim Lepisosteus spatula O Lepisosteus productus h ’1 Lepisosteus osseus 10 i Dorosoma cepedianum 32 E IctiObus bubalus 3 ’ *Ictalurus punctatus 2 *Lepomis microlophus ' O Iepomis macrochirus O *Pomoxis annularis l aplgdinotgs_grunniens 3 ll_1______w:mssfi i Percent game fish 10.0? Percent rough fish 89.93 rim—.3 .w.:.é--.a'.'.-,a‘w..;._.t... iv..- A.” '. i .n iii 1 i 0,36 1t 5,0h § #3 15,47 3 it? 52,8? 30 10,79 2 8 I 2,88 0 ; 2 i 0072 o 5 3 I 1,08 u Ji 18 ! 6014.7 2 f 12 g uo32 , a" f . _WJ_W m, . __. _. .39.- . in! will .‘___ lull-9.9199,- * indicates game fish Grams of fish collected in experimental from Comanche Lake, September 1959 ' Figure 2a -Species Stations ' ” h Lepisosteus spatula O Lepisostens productus l,h7h Lepisosteus osseus 8,537 Dorosoma cepedianum 2,988 Ictiobus bubalus_ 13,351L *Ictalurus punctatus 2,177 *Lepomis microlophus O Lepomis macrochirus O *Pomoxis annularis 696 AplOdinotus grunniens 380 . Total 922696 Percent game fish 5070 Percent rough fish ' 9&030 gill nets, ; : Total ! .-...-.. 1 8,138 l 10,02h ! 31,625 21,621 37,869 4,376 73 115 2,306 2,286 118,h33 Percent 6,87 8,46 26,70 18,26 31,98 3.69 0,06 0,10 1°95 1°93 T100000 * indicates game fish Figure 3. Numbers of fish collected in experimental gill nets, from Espantosa Lake, December 1959 -Species "j; Stations Total Percent Lepisosteus productus { 1 _ 3 2 12 10.62 Lepisosteus osseus ; O h 8 18 15.93 Dorosoma cepedianum :Q 0 1 26 , 9 37 32.75 IctiObus bubalus I 2 a 3 a 9 15 13.27 *Ictalurus punctatus ? o E h i 10 23 20.36 *Micropterus salmoides O 9 1 i O 1 0.88 *Pomoxis annular-is 0 _ 1 3 6 _ 5.31 Aplodinotus grunniens 0 '8 0 ; 0 l 0.88 Percent game fish 26.55 * indicates game fish Percent rough fish 73.h5 8. Figure 8. Grams of fish collected in experimental gill nets, from Espantosa Lake, December 1959 Species I Total Percent ”may... ._.- ~an0 m“mpflmmn¢-fluc4m Lepisosteus_productus 3,237 6,620 . 13.66 Lepisosteus osseus 3,236 - 10,662 . 22.01 Dorosoma cepedianum 185 I 3,720 7.68 Ictidbus bubalus 2,211 12,556 I 25.93 *Ictalurus punctatus 3,502 I 11,108 22.92 fMicropterus salmoides 0 1,287 2.57 _ *Pomoxis annularis 390 ' 1,092 a 2.25 Aplodinotus grunniens 1,886 1,886 S 2.98 W___. I - 3526 _. I. M __ 8.21.131...-.-...l.£*..:.££§l...... .8ézfili__1199:.99 _.., ' Percent game fish“ 27.78 * indicates game fish Percent rough fish 72.26