TPWD 1955 F-3-R-2 #134: Job Completion Report: Basic Survey of Those Portions of the Sabine River Which Lie Within and Along the Boundaries of Van Zandt, Wood, Upshur, Harrison, Panola and She

STfiTE Texas PROJECT NO. F-3-R-2, JOb A-3 PERIOD July I, 1955 to May 31, I955 Job Completion Report by ._.—-—-....\ Robert J. Kemp, Jr. TITLE Basic Survey of Those Portions of the Sabine River Which Lie Within and Along the Boundaries of Van Zandt, Wood, Upshur, Harrison, Panola and Shelby Counties, Texas. OBJECTIVES To gather fundamental data on the above waters in regard to their physical, chemical and biological aSpects. ‘ METHODS The Sabine River was visited in conjunction with Job B-8- In all, 59 stations were observed and conditions noted. RESULTS The counties of Van Zandt and Wood are located in the Post Oak Belt. Upshur, Harrison, Panola and Shelby are all listed on soils maps as having basically the same type soils, i. e., sandy loam overlaying clay. The river bottom itself can be divid- ed into two distinct classifications. Since much of the upper Sabine River drains off the Blackland Prairie, the bottoms in Van shot and most of Wood Counties have been covered with layers of blackland silt varying in depth from a few inches to Several feet. From the eastern tip of Wood County on, the bottom is typically sandy soil. All of the water in the black bottom area as reduced to holes during the dry summer and fall months. From Upshur County on there was always a little flow even during the driest months. In the black bottom area, the pH was consistently on the alkaline side, ranging up to 7.8. Turbidity was never less than 100 ppm and ran as high as #00 ppm. In the sandy bottom area, pH was consistently on the acid side, ranging down to 6.0. The turbidity ran up to 300 ppm during high water periods but was always less than 25 ppm during low water. The salinity was lowest at ll — 20 ppm in the upper regions where no oil wells were present. From the middle of Wood County on, salinity varied from M3 ppm dufing low water to #26 ppm during high water periods. The river as a whole would average 125 ppm chlorides on a yearly basis. In the river itself, the bottom was soft and silt covered in the black bottom area, while in the sandy botom area it was typically hard sand, with some hard clay, gravel and ferous rock. A typical locality in the "blackland bottom" area was Station #2, located at the Highway 19 crossing in Van Zandt County. Here the river was normally fifty feet wide, up to five feet deep, with a bottom of soft, black silt. No vegetation was present in the river. The pH varied from 7.0 to 7.6 with an average of 7.3. Chlorides ran la ppm. Total alkalinity varied from 60 to 118 ppm. Turbidity varied from 110 ppm to 375 ppm, averaging 220 ppm. Oxygen and carbon . dioxide were not tested. All collection data are shown on the fish cards at the end of the report. A typical locality in the sandy bottom area was Station #35, located six miles northeast of Carthage in Panola County. Here the river was normally 250 feet wide, up to eight feet in depth, with a bottom of hard sand. Vegetation on the bank was pine and hardwoods. The pH varied from 6.0 to 7.2 with an average of 6.7 Chlorides ran from #6 to 23% ppm with an average of 119 ppm. Total alka- linity was In ppm. All collection data for a typical collection station are shown on the fish cards at the end of the report. SUMMARY 1. The area studied was the Sabine River in van Zandt, Wood, Upshur, Harrison, Panola and Shelby Counties, Texas. 2. Van Zandt and most of Wood County located in the Post Oak Belt, while Upshur, Harrison, Panola and Shelby Counties are located in the Pine Forest Belt. 3. Upper two counties invaded by blackland silt had correSponding high turn bidity, pH and alkalinity while the lower river has low turbidity, pH and alkalinity. h. Upper two counties the river got down into holes while lower portion had some running water the year around. 5. A typical locality in the "blaclland bottom area", the river was fifty feet wide, five feet deep with soft silt bottom. 6. A typical locality in the sandy loam, the river was 250 feet wide, eight 'feet deep, with hard sand bottom. Fish Card I ______ll__ll_l___ll___l_i__l_ll__l_llli_li__l_l__l__l_l_ll__lmm__l__li____ll__li Coll. No. S—P-l-l SEINING COLLECTION SPOILED Locality - Sta.-#27, Sabine River Date _ 7/15_5u Collectoru R. J. Kemp, Jr. Time e 8350 AM Description - 125 ft. wide, up to Sit. deep Shoreline _ Sandy loam; clay; banks with 300s10pe Bottom - sand Cover — Occasional log; mostly clean Weather — Fair, Air temp. 90°F Turbidity ~ less than 25 ppm Vegetation Submerged — none. Floating — none. Emerged _ willow; pine oak; pine Tackle: 'Bag seine, 26 x 6, i in. mesh W Coll. No. S-P-l-2 MicrOpterus punctulatus 1 Locality - Sta. #27 -Sabine River NotrOpis lutrensis 266 Date — 8/17/5h NotrOpis venustus 190 Collector — R. J. Kemp, Jr. Notropis atherinoides A Time — 8:15 AM Pimephales vigilax 6A Description: Same as above Notropis sabinae 225 Weather: Clear and warm Fundulus notatus 28 Tackle: Bag seine, 26 x 6, fi” mesh Gambusia affinis l7 2 hauls of 50 ft. each Amocrypta Clara '7 Lepomis macrochirus 15 Lepomis auritus lhh Carpiodes carpio 22 Total 983 FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P~l~3 Carpiodes carpio ll Locality m Sta. #27 Sabine River Notropis atherinoides 50 Date ~ lO/7/5h Notropis sabinae 29 Time — 93u5 AM NotrOpis buchanani lh5 Description — Same as above NotrOpis lutrensis 395 Weather: Cloudy, NE wind, 5—10 mph Pimephales vigilax 17 Air Temp. 80°F Notropis venustus 3 Water Temp. 70°F Fundulus notatus 20 Tackle: Baig seine 26 x 6, i" mesh Gambusia affinis 8 Labidesthes sicculus l Lepomis auritus 1 Total 680 FISH CARD Coll. No. Smel-H Notropis lutrensis 2,312 Locality - Ste. #27 satine River NotrOpis sabinae 116 Date — ll/lO/SA NotrOpis euthanahi 82 Collector ~ R. J. Kemp, Jr. Notropis maculatus 1 Time — 10:30 AM Pimephales vigilax 50 Description - same as above Fundulus notatus 1 Weather: Clear Gambusia affinis 7 Tackle: Bag seine 26 x 6, i" mesh Lepomis macrochirus l Lepomis megalotis 2 Carpiodes carpio l FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P-l-5 Lepomis macrochirus E Locality ~ Sta. #27 Sabine River Chaenobryttus coronarius 1 Date a ll/lQ/SA Lepomis megalotis 6 Collector - B. J. Kemp, Jr. Gambusia affinis u Time - 10:10 AM " Etheostoma gracile 1 Description: River up and rising; ” very turbid Pimephales vigilax 75 Weather - clear; 15 mph NW wind NotrOpis venustus 2 Air Temp. 5AOF FISH CARD Notropis lutrensis A80 A. FISH CARD (con‘d) Water Temp. 575F Notropis sabinae 9H Tackle: 26 x 6, %” mesh NotrOpis buchanani 28 Total 698 FISH CARD 00110 NO 0 S-P'l‘“ Locality - Sta. #27 sabine River NotrOpis buchanani 230 Date _ 12/10/54 Hybopsis aestivalis 7 Collector - R. J. Kemp, Jr. Hybognathus nuchalis 1 Time _ 10:10 AM Pimephales vigilax 227 Description: Same as S—P-l~l Etheostoma gracile A Weather: Partly cloudy Lepomis megalotis 6 Air Temp. Moor Total 893 water Temp. 5OQF Tackle: 26 x 6, t“ mesh FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P—le7 NotrOpis Sabinae 198 Locality - Sta. #27 Sabine River NotrOpis lutrensis 280 Date _ l/lu/55 NotrOpis buchanani 110 Collector — R. J. Kemp, Jr. Pimephales vigilax 63 Time - llghs AM Total 651 Description: Same as S-P-l—l Weather — cloudy Air Temp. MSOF Water Temp. A70F Tackle: 26 x 6, %” mesh FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P—lwfl Locality - Sta. No. 27 Sabine River Date _ 12/17/5u Collector ~ R. J. Kemp, Jr. Time ~ 2 PM to 7 AM Description - River up several feet at Notropis lutrensis 3 9” Carpiodes carpio . l O Dorosoma cepedianum 3 Aplodinoteus grunniens A Lepisosteus productus l Micropterus salmoides 1 stand still . Micropterus punctulatus 7 Weather — partly cloudy 20 mph wind NW Pomoxis nigroemacultus 7 Air ~ Temp. 38°F Poméxis annularis 1A Water Temp. h8OF Lepomis macrochirus 2 Tackle: l6 beep nets Total A9 8 nets 1" mesh 8 nets 2" mesh Coll. NO. S—P-l—N Locality ~ Sta. #27 Sabine River Date u l2/2l/5A Collector - R. J. Kemp, Jr. Description:_ Same as S-Pwl-l Weather: Air Temp. 3A0F water Temp. A6QF Tackle: l6 hOOp nets 8 nets 1“ mesh A nets 2“ mesh A nets 3" mesh 5. FISH C Pomoxis annularis MicrOpterus salmoides MicrOpterus_punctulatus Aplodinotus grunniens Total Ateitena