TPWD 1956 F-2-R-3 #258: Inventory of Species Present in Buchanan Lake

STATE Texas PROJECT” -3253:UJ°F.Bfil3... _.. a ._ .Nl PERIOD June l955 through January l95' JOb Completion Report E. E nus Assistant Project Leader TITLE Inventory of Species Present in Buchanan Lake. OBJECEIVEB To determine the species present and their relative abundance. METHDBS AND PROCEDURES three principal collecting methods were used in securing specimens from Buchanan Lake. Gill nets 8 by 100 feet of 1%, 2, and 3 inch mesh were used to some extent although the experimental type was used most frequently because of the bet» ter sample obtained. Seine collections were made with 36 by 6 feet bag seines and 30 by 6 feet straight seines, both types with % inch mesh. One rotenone collection was made. A small slough of approximately three acre feet was treated with rotenone during January. Gill net collections were made at random over the entire lake, while seine collections were made at prescribed stations. Map No. 1 shows netting, coining, and rotenone collecting sites. PHESICAL CHARACTERISTICS A complete physical description of the lake can be found in Segment Completion Report, Project FBRB, Job Bulfi, dated June l955. During the present segment period the water level of Lake Buchanan fell from one foot below spillsay level in July l955 to l3 feet below spillsay level in January l956, or a maximum fluctuation of 12 feet. eQUATIC VEGETATION AND COVER With the exception of a few scattered areas, Lake Buchanan is relatively free of aquatic vegetation. In some shallow areas, musk grass, Chara gp.; filamentous algae, Spirogyra gp.; coontail, Ceratophyllum demersum; parrot feather, Myriophyllun sp.; and pond teed, Potanogeton E23: are found, particularly where heavy siltation has deposited a thick and layer. Willows, Salix.nigra, are found along most bank areas and on scat» tered islands throughout the lake. Large areas of granite and gravel bottom as well as water level fluctuations probably account for the scarcity of typical aquatics in Buchanan Lake. ononfios one Bupcnp snomnoods 166 no notnomnogut poppnoxd snotoooTToo Bupooon °Jonoo omos poptnond notnn uopeenoBoA opoenbe Jones noTTons go notssonsoa Burntnson one pan osnnoiodmon Jones up oinoop dnens one on onp Kanqond s: oinoop opnm -thnens poddoop course a: canon stenptntpup JD soqmnn one soqmvoH poo Joqoaoo JO snauom one Bnteng -§§61 noofl one no; ssooons Burnando nBtn Kronpeoton e sonooppup a: ‘ooeo one s: spnn Jl 'ggsx JO Bopnds one Borinp pouneds oxen Rona none pomnsond st or concur sip; on coins non; oops up pagan; ‘ioqmoodog pun ‘asanv ‘KTnf Butanp soupoo up Hones soon nootq W¢HGWSEJ9T 130W 993:8 'Jeqmflfl TPtOt UT undue; Pafiflfid PW? 9T9nptfitpui 8n? 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E. ceped~ ianum, appears to be the most abundant, accounting for 37.3h per cent of the total neo- ber with 370 individuals. The second most abundant species taken.was the river carp~ sucker, Garpiodes carpio, with 19.07 per cent of the total and 189 individuals. The white bass, Morons chrysops, and channel catfish, Iotalurus punctatus, were the most frequently taken game fish. g, chrysops made up l3.72 per cent of the total number with 137 individuals and ;. punctatus accounted for 13.92 per cent with l38. The number of pounds of fish netted per month, total weight, and per cent of weight are presented in Table V. The river carpsucker, Carpiodes carpio, contributed the highest percentage of total weight with 34.h8 per cent and 309.58 pounds. The smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus m bubalus, was second in total weight with 135.82 pounds or 15.13 per cent of the total. All game fish accounted for 33.73 percent or 302.73 pounds. ‘g. punctatus and g. ch oops provided the largest per cent of total weight with 13.70 per cent and 12.59 per cent reopectively. Table VI shows netting success in terms of number and pounds of fish by months and not set. A higher return per net in both numbers and pounds of fish was obtained during the fall and winter months. Table VII gives information on gonadal development in the more important species of game fish. The information presented is based on records from only 329 individuals and is too small a sample for any significant conclusions. However, one interesting fact in the collected information is the presence of fish in the No. 3 or developing stage throughout the segment period. Although no rips game fish were encountered after August 1, 1955, many species showed individuals in an advanced stage of sexual development throughout the fall and winter months. One rotenone collection was made on a small slough in Buchanan Lake on Jana nary 25, l956. The area treated comprised % surface acre with an average depth of six feet, making a total volume of three acre feet. It is believed that a complete kill was achieved, but for fish were taken. Four species were collected in the sample and as in the seining and netting collections the gissard shad, 2, cepedianum, accounted for the highest per cent of total numbers. Of 3st fish killed and collected, 310 individuals were gizsard shad. In addition, eight carp, Cyprinus 9232322 two channel catfish, l. punctatgs? and 26 spottail shiners, Egtropis venustgs, were collected. The treated area was evidently too shallow and provided insufficient cover to support a larger fish population. STOMACH ANALYSIS Although an effort was made to preserve-stomachs of game fish for laboratory analysis, few stomachs were found to contain food. Either regurgitation or complete digestion left most stomachs completely empty or filled with water only. A total of 73 stomachs was examined for content but no volumes were taken. A frequency chart is presented in Table VIII, listing the contents of stomachs from 30 channel catfish, 33 white bass, and 10 Centrachid bass, representing eight largemouth and two spotted bass. All catfish stomachs found with vegetation, both algae and maize, were taken from Juveniles under nine inches in length. The sixteen stomachs containing maize were taken from the same not, which was undoubtedly set over or near a "baited" area. 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In Lake Buchanan rough fish, including shortness gar, gicsard shad, smallmouth buffalo, river carpsucker, carp, freshwater drum, and Rio Grande perch accounted for 71.9 per cent of the total individuals taken in both nets and seines and 66.3 per cent of the total weight of netted specimens. It is doubtful wheihcrcontract netters appreciably reduce the over population of rough fish in the lake. Although a high percentage of the productivity of the lake is utilized in the production of undesirable fish species, no means of eradication er control seem feasible at this time. SUMMARY Lake Buchanan, an.impoundment of approximately one million acre feet, located in the hill country near Burnet, Texas, was inventoried for species present and approx» imate relative abundance of these species. Seines, gill nets, and rotenone were used in collecting specimens and rough fish were feund to dominate the total collections, both in weight and numbers in all three sampling techniques. Game fish were plentiful and in excellent condition, probably due to the abundance of forage fishes present in the lake. No adverse thermal or chemical conditions were found in the water samples analyzed and no evidence of pollution was found. Lake Buchanan is an excellent lake for sports fisherman, with good catches of game fish taken the year around, but font evidence gathered, a high percentage of lake fertility is spent on rough fish which have little or no commercial or sport value. 000000.! mom—IV) r-ir—i sonic scale 91 01 31 93911 songs wdd 303 9 6'L 09 99 09 9 0'9 09 99 03 9 0'9 09 99 01 6 1'9 09 99 1 9961 ‘93 flxvnuef 9 0'9 99 99 09 0'9 99 99 09 31 6'L 99 99 03 31 6'L 99 99 1 9961 ‘91 asqweaeu 9 6'L 39 69 09 L L'L £9 69 03 9 9'L E9 69 01 01 9'L 99 69 1 9961 ‘6 JEQMSAOH L 6'L 0L 09 oh 9 0'9 3L 09 oE 6 9'L 3L 09 03 01 1'9 9L 09 01 01 1'9 9L 09- 1 9961 ‘93 Jeqosso 9 0'8 T9 96 09 9 9'9 T8 #6 0t 9 9 '9 T8 '16 OS 9 9'8 T9 #6 08 L 3'9 19 96 01 6 9'9 39 96 1 9961 ‘9 xeqmesdss a 9'L 9L 96 09 8 1'9 08 t6 On E 1'9 19 96 02 fl T'B 98 #6 08 8 8'8 98 #6 0T 01 9'9 16 96 1 9961 ‘S csnfinv a 6'L ii 06 09 3 0'9 09 06 on E 1'9 09 06 0E 9 3'9 99 06 03 6 3'9 L9 06 01 31 9'9 06 06 1 9961 ‘31 £1nr mdd d do 493d 30 Hd dmafi due; at 1999M Irv Hades '9961 Rasmusr ufinoaus 9961 £1nr ‘SISKIBHV 1949M 9xs1 unusuans 31W ' T QTQEI. Table 2. Checklist of Species Found to Occur in Buchanan Lake. Scientific Name Lepisosteus platostomus tsessasa"ttpedianum EEtyanax fasciatus Ictiobus bubalus Garpiodes carpio EEEBEEEEE'EEEEEEBum. Cyprinus carpio Opsopoeodus emiliae* Notropis oxyrhynchus* Notropis brazosensis* EBBES§EE'BEEGEEEE“""_ FSBEEEEE'IEEBEEEIE Notropis deliciosus* BEBE5§i§'¥EIfiEElIE§ Hybognathfisnfifichgli§* Pimephales vigilax Eampostoma anomalumi lctalfiifis“pfifiE£EBE§ FilddiEEEEMEIEFEBEE Fundulus fibtatus Gambusia affinis Mugil cephalus* Morone chrys0ps Micropterus punctulatus Micropterus‘treculi Micropterus salmoides Chaenobryttus coronarius Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis'microlOphus Lepomis macrochirus ispomis humilis* Lepomis auritus Lepomis megalotis Pomoxis annularis Percina caprodes Aplodinotus grunniens Cichlasoma cyanoguttata * Species taken in segment taken in this segment period. Common Name shortness gar gizzard shad tetra smallmouth buffalo river carpsucker gray redhorse sucker carp pugnose minnow sharpnose Shiner Brazos River shiner spottail redhorse shiner sand shiner mimic shiner silvery'minnow parrot minnow stoneroller channel catfish yellow catfish blackstripe topminnow common mosquitofish striped mullet white bass Kentucky spotted bass Texas spotted bass largemouth black bass warmouth green sunfish redear sunfish bluegill ' orangeSpotted sunfish yellowbelly sunfish longear sunfish white crappie logperch freshwater drum Rio Grande perch period December 1, 1959 through May 30, 1955, but not oo.OOH ONOOONOOOOOOWHOMOOOWHOOOI . I o a NPNHNOONJNNOKOJQWLAJJMHJCOQ. OPOHOMNOOOQWAI‘mMMHE‘JChWNPO hopssz.mo * [- Hmamammr—qmaa A!" 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