TPWD 1963 F-9-R-11 #819: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region 5-A: Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species Present, as Well as Their Distribution in Hondo Creek and

JOB CUHPLETIDN REPDRT As required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTDRATIDW ACT TEXAS Federal.Aid Prejeet Ne. F-9-R-11 FISHERIES INVESTIGATIONS AND SURVEYS OF THE WATERS DF REGIDH 5-A Jeb Rea B—EA Basie Survey and Inventory ef Fish Species Present, as'Well as Their Distributien in Hands Creek and Its Tributaries Lying Within Medina Ceunty Project Leader: Elgin M1 Cr Diets J, Walden Watson Executive Direeter Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas Marian Teele Eugene A, Walker D-J Ceerdinater Direetnr, Pregram.Planning Newember E, 1963 ABSTRACT A total of four seining and three gill net collections for fish specimens was made on Hondo Creek during the period of study. Gill net collections showed a large dominance of rough fish which composed 89.11 per cent of the netted specimens. Channel catfish had the highest inci— dence for the game species with only 5.21 per cent of the total collection. The only feasible management recommendation for this stream at this time is to secure a competent contract fisherman in an effort to reduce the present rough fish population. JCS CUHPLETIDN REPDRT State of Texas Project No. F-QwR—ll Name: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region S—A Job No. B-ZA Title: Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species Present, as Well as Their Distribution in Hondo Creek and Its Tributaries Lying Within Medina County, Texas Period Covered: December 1, 1962 through July 31, 1963 Chjectives: To gather fundamental data on the above waters in regard to their physical, chemical and biological aspects. To determine the distribution of fish species present, their relative abundance and the ecological factors influencing their distribution. Techniques Used: A total of four seining and three gill net collections for fish specimens was made on Hondo Creek during the period of study (Figure l). Gill net collections were made using several net sets at each station. flats used were the standard type of net used by inland fisheries crews of the Parks and Wildlife Department. These nets were composed of varying mesh sizes from 1— to 3—inch square mesh. Lengths, weights and numbers of netted fish were recorded in the field. Fish collected by seining'were taken in 12- by A-foot common sense minnow seines and were preserved in 10 per cent formaldehyde solution for later identification and tabulation in the laboratory. A checklist of fish species collected is given in Table 1. Findings: Rondo Creek begins in the northwest corner of Medina County, well up in the Edwards Plateau, and flows in a southeasterly direction until it reaches Hondo, Medina County. At this point it flows almost due south through'Medina County to its junction with the Frio River, northwest of Pearsall in Erie County. Just north of Rondo, the Balcones Escarpment crosses Medina County in an eastiwest direction. From this point southward the river flows through the Coastal Plains. The river bed is almost totally limestone bedrock from its beginning to the Ealcones Escarpment. 'Most of this area is heavily fractured and flows only after runoff from the watershed. Small pools are present in some of this area, but most of these usually dry up during the-summer months. The fish in this area are of very little or no significance. The first permanent FIGURE 1 HONDO CREEK Z L E GE N D Q Roms A NET STATIDN-S a (’3 SEINING STATIDNS I N 5 E T HEDINA COUNTY m __ _ _.. _ .._.. ..._.-_— o I. r. a .1. ”In a-“osr‘ Faro COUNTY -3- Table 1. Checklist of fish species used in this report. Common Name Scientific Name Spotted gar Lepisosteus oculatus Longnose gar E. osseus discard shad Dorosoma cepedianum Smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalua Cray redhorse Moxostoma congestum Carp Cyprinus carpio Blacktail shiner Notropis venustus Red shiner E, lutrensis Mimic shiner H, volucellus Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Warmouth Chaanobryttus gglosus Green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus Bluegill sunfish L, macrochirus Radbreast sunfish L, auritus Longear sunfish L, megalotis White crappie Pomoxis annularis Freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens Rio Grande Perch Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum water starts after the river reaches the Coastal Plains area, immediately south of U. S. Highway 90. Beginning at this point, the river bed is mostly gravel, graduatinglto sandy loam. The cutdbanks through the sandy loam.are deep and fairly narrow in the upper area. Below this point, the river valley continues to widen as the soil and river bed graduates to black loam. The pools become deeper and the cut—banks through the black loam are fifty feet deep in places. Gill netting collections showed a large dominance of rough fish which composed 89.11 per-cent of the netted specimens (Table 2). Gissard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) were the most numerous with 43.3? per cent. With only 5.21 per cent of the total collection, channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) had the highest incidence for the game species. These collections pretty well point out the condition of this stream in regard to fish populations. The stream is murky and, in general, is poor habitat for game species. This turbidity is no doubt due to the large popu- lation of bottom feeding rough fish. During the summer of 1954, this stream was renovated with rotenone and restocked with game species. Rough fish from downstream reinfested this stream to its present population. A good minnow population exists in the few shallow riffle areas of the stream. There is, however, only limited habitat for minnows because of the .snfim :moos mm mommannmfio nofioonme emmmmmmmwmmmwm mEonmasoflm mmmmwmmmm.mmmmmmm mmmmmmm um mmmwflmmmmmm_MHEWHMfl mmwflmmwmm.mmmmmmmmmmfl mmmmmmmmm mwwnfimnoH efimmmmmmmm wEoumoon bad tandem anoammnn nomofiuoH tennmflmmmmo meowoson emoomno 2% annumfiooo nooumonfimoq DMHMGGWG m m m h a m a a m. a N a ._l Ell .3... Ill a... ll1 3...... .aannusnase amen .meaa .assse sauna .muaamsn mannnms Haas .N mamas large deep pools and the limited shallow areas where the water flows over rock and rubble bottom. The red shiner (Notropis lutrensis) was the most common species in the seining collections, accounting for ?3.15 per cent of the total specimens collected by this method (Table 3). Other species accounted for only minor percentages of the total specimens collected by se1n1ng. Table 3. Seining collections, Hondo Creek, 1963. 3,,.,,, Dorosoma cepadianum Wotropis venustus N, lutrensis N, volucellus Cambusia affinis Micropterus salmoides Chaenobryttus gulosus Lepomis cyanellus L. macrochirus L. auritus .megalotis Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum Recommendations: Fisheries management recommendations are rather difficult for this stream because of the cost of such work and its limited fishing potential. The stream is small and has very limited access points. Property owners adjoining the stream make up the bulk of the fishing pressure. This stream would no doubt support a larger number of anglers if a good game fish population were present. However, with its limited access areas and the small size, the cost of proper management practices would be prohibitive. It is, therefore, recommended that an attempt be made to secure a competent contract fisherman for this stream in an effort to reduce the present rough fish population. This is the only feasible management recommendation for this stream at the present time. Prepared by Elgin M. C. Diets Approved by 2 3: EZ’fifi-fl 52554 Project Leader Coord1nator Date November 6, 1963 Kenneth C. Jurgens Inland Fisheries Supervisor - a. u. I II' I. I ._| F. I? I I :III I -'.F -.- Ir‘ F II I'd: I I-. .I. I II ul- .1 I I III I II- - . .I 1'- 1 I I _ Fl .- u I - 1. I II- . ...