TPWD 1965 F-4-R-12 #1000: Inventory of Hubbard Creek and Proctor Lakes Including an Evaluation of the Pre-impoundment Rotenone Treatment of Hubbard Creek Lake

JOB COMPLETION REPORT As required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project No. F-é-R-lZ FISHERIES INVESTIGATIONS AND SURVEYS OF THE WATERS OF REGION 2-A Job No. 3—31: Inventory of Hubbard Creek and Proctor Lakes Including an Evaluation of the Pre-impound- ment Rotenone Treatment of Hubbard Creek Lake. Project Leader: Dwane Q. Smith W. J. Cutbirth Acting Deputy Director Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas Marion Toole Eugene A. Walker D-J Coordinator Director, Wildlife Services August 19, 1966 ABSTRACT Despite the pre—impoundment fish kill executed on the Hubbard Creek watershed, rough fish Species have increased faster in this lake than in Proctor Lake where no kill was accomplished. Factors influencing this situation are not clear from data collected so far. The job will be completed in the next segment of work. JOB COMPLETION REPORT State of Texas Project No. F-4-R-12 Name: Fisheries Investigations and_§urveys of the_flaters of Region 2-A. Job No. 3-31 Title: Inventory of Hubbard Creek and Proctor Lakes Inglgding an Evaluatignfiof_the Pre; impoundmegt Rotenone Treatment of Hubbard Ereekmlaekei Period Covered;fi_fl___fl Novemb§£_l, 196fi_- October g1, 19§§_“_H ‘_ *_HH*_ Objectives: 1. To determine the fish species present, their relative abundance and the factors influencing their distribution. 2. To compare the fish population in Hubbard Creek Lake (pre—impoundment rotenone treatment of watershed) with those of Proctor Lake (untreated watershed) to determine the following: a. Rough fish w game fish ratio. b. Growth rates (based on length of time since stocking). c. Coefficient of condition of game species. d. Reproduction of game species. Introduction; Hubbard Creek Lake Hubbard Creek Lake, located nine miles northwest of Breckenridge in Stephens County, Texas, was built by the city of Abilene, Texas and is controlled by the West Central Texas Water District. The earthen dam, across Hubbard Creek below the confluence with Sandy Creek, will impound 16,000 surface acres when full but inun— dated approximately 4,000 surface acres during the Fwa-lel and F-4mR—12 segments of work. Hubbard Creek Lake was created to provide a water supply for Abilene and smaller surrounding cities. No emphasis were placed on recreation or recreational facilities. Construction was completed in the fall of 1962 and 2,000 surface acres of water were impounded that year. Additional water was impounded during the spring -2... tree while the shoreline supports bermuda grass, sunflowers and various other range grasses and weeds. The lake is very susceptible to wind which hinders fishermen through wave action. Hubbard and Sandy Creeks, within the lake basin, were treated at the rate of 1.5 ppm liquid rotenone during the last two weeks of August 1962. Prior to the basin treatment all farm ponds were treated with powdered rotenone in an attempt to eliminate existing pond fish populations (Project F—l4-D-6, Job l6a37). Proctor Lake Proctor Lake is located on the Leon River near Proctor, Comanche County, Texas. The structure was built by the Army Corps of Engineers for flood prevention and recreation. Work on the dam was completed in the Spring of 1963. Due to heavy rains on the watershed the lake was filled immediately. Lake Proctor has 4,600 surface acres of water which is supplied by Rush Creek, Sabanna River and Leon River. Soils on the watershed are primarily sand with underlying clay. Peanuts and watermelons are the principal crops grown on the immediate watershed. The shoreline has a variety of trees including large pecan trees intersperced with post oak. Bermuda is the predominant grass. Launching ramps, camp sites, picnic areas and paved roads, built by the Corps of Engineers, make the lake very attractive and extremely accessible to the public. No prewimpoundment fish kill was attempted. Stocking of Lakes Stocking of fish in both lakes from State hatcheries is tabuleH1ed in Table 1. Those fish stocked in the Hubbard Creek Lake basin during the months of August and September 1962 were placed in farm ponds which had previously been treated with rotenone to remove native fish. Techniques: Gill nets were used to sample fish populations and were set at stations established during the initial (F-4—R—ll) segment of this job. The nets were 150 feet long and 6 feet deep, with square mesh graduated from one inch to three and onemhalf inches, changing every 25 feet. Nets were set in the afternoon and raised the following morning. Netting trips were made to each lake during a minimum of six months of each segment. These trips were distributed more or less randomly over the segment periods. In Hubbard Creek Lake 8,550 feet of net was set during the first segment and 6,450 feet set during the second. In Lake Proctor 8,350 feet were set the first year and 6,000 feet the second. Scientific names of fish mentioned in this report are shown in a checklist (Table 2). The checklist also reflects the various species included among the terms ”rough fish”, ”game fish” and ”miscellaneous sunfish", as used in this report Table 1. Date 8~62 9—62 10‘62 4~63 Totals 2929 6-63 8-63 10-63 Totals “MWWWW WWW -—-——_—-._.__._-—_—..~ -—-— —-—-—-—-—_...__-—-— Largemouth Bass 10,000 5,000 19,000 Hubbard Creek Lake 350,000 384,000 Largemouth Bass —_—._..—_...— 167,700 Channel Catfish Catfish Blue 2,000 103,050 12,000 10,700 24,000 115,750 36,000 Proctor Lake Channel Catfish §§E§£§h WBlue 76,980 76,980 Flathead Catfish 2,000 2,000 Flathead Catfish 5,050 5,050 Crappie White 1,096 1,096 Crappie White -4- Table 2. Checklist of fishes mentioned in this report and arranged within categori_, designated for reporting purposes. WW Rough Fish Spotted gar Lepisostegg ggglatus Longnose gar L. osseus Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum Smallmouth buffalo Ictiobgg bubalus River carpsucker Carpiodes carpio Carp Cyprinus carpio Black bullhead LngLurus melas Yellow bullhead l-.fl§£§l£§ Freshwater drum Apnginotus grunniens Game Fish Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus Blue catfish L. furcatus Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris Largemouth bass fiLgropterus salmoides White crappie nggng annularis Miscellaneous sunfigh Warmouth _ , Chaenobryttus guIOSus Green sunfish Lgpgng cyanellus Redear sunfish L. miggglgphug Bluegill L, magrochirgg Longear sunfish L. megaLotis _“-n~_—-—u—h—--—fl_flfl—m_—#m_—fl#mmfl-# _.——.-_—____.__._.____-._-___———___.——.—- _._.___._——-————_—p—————.—__——r———-———p—————-—— Discussion: Despite the prewimpoundment fish kill, rough fish comprised 40.65 per cent of number and 55.36 per cent of weight of all fish netted in Hubbard Creek Lake during the initial segment (Table 3), as opposed to 40.71 per cent by number and 41.87 per cent by weight for Proctor Lake where no kill was attempted (Table 4). During the second segment of work, rough fish comprised 61.85 per cent of number and 65.39 per cent of weight of the fish netted from Hubbard Creek (Table 5), and 51.08 per cent and 45.46 per cent respectively for Proctor (Table 6). It can be seen from this that rough fish species increased significantly faster in Hubbard Creek Lake during the first two years, dSSpite the pre-impoundment fish kill. However, specific factors influencing this situation are less evident. comparison of stocking techniques, times of impoundment for each lake, plus analysis of catch by species and group composition, size ranges and condition factors within species, catch rates by Species and groups, and Similar indices, may allow conclusions to be drawn. The data presented herein is incomplete, as the job has entered a third and final segment. For this reason, no further analysis at this time appears warranted. When final data has been collected and analyses completed, any Significant findings will be offered for publication in an appropriate journal. Otherwise, a detailed presentation will be given in the job completion report. Prepared by:____ Dwane 9. Smith Approved by: Z 2: gig/11M: c/Mé Project Leader Coordinator Date: August 19, 19§§__L_ _*__ GARY WOOD Regional Supervisor mN.m onam md.N H6.~ mH.N ms.H mm.u Hm.H h0.N N0.H Na.N NM.N mn.m no.a 00.0 mwwuo>¢ 06.6-oa.H mm m~.m-~m.fl on mm.m-mm.m 0mm ms.m-oo.m amm o~.m-66.o mflq mm.~-~m.~ omo.m mw.H-oH.a mam os.a-sm.o mam mn.m-oq.H ems mm.m-mm.fi HNH oo.m-mm.H mus om.m-oo.m eon om.q-mm.m can mq.m-no.H own - mwm.m as.o-ms.o awn amamm Iuiaw: “swam; zx: .>< ownmm mqflsom owfiaow uso.u-om Hom.a-mq moo.m-aam.a 666.H-ouu mno.s-mm emu.a-oo mnmamm sso.m-mwu qmn.u-mam mmm.m-omu mamaom 66m.a-qms sqm.u-oqm omcmm unwumz qOH mm“ 05H mam 0mm mm¢ mmm 00m mom mks mam 66m ANN Hum use nmq SE Luwcoq O>€ omfiaom 0mH10mH mmH-mmH m0m-mm mnm-00~ owmaowm 00¢-00N 000-0NH mmm-6ma omm-mma ohm-ooN 66m-6mm om6-msu mom-mmu 66H.H-osm owmnoqm Ea omcmm Eumcoq 0m.m mn.0 00.H mo.0 60.N mn.0 mm.0 no.0 uwz .6“ can “mm .664 HH.0 0m.H 00.0 “62 .um 00H Mom .02 mm.ad «0.0 0m.ha No.0 mm.m 00.0 mm.ma 00.q 0m.mH mm.m 00.5 om.0 .wgmumz MO unoo.umm m~.mq NN.HH~ no.mm mm.mmo m0.nm Hw.q m0.hflm hm.¢d mq.an qw.m0 Nq.mm mm.o i 6;.u63 .mnn fiance .naaamuqumu 00.00H 66.64 m0.mm “0.0 «H.0 Hm.mm mmqmu um.qu 66.6 mo.m no.m 0®.H Hm.mH 0N.0H 00.0 06.0 Hwnfisz mo unmo mom coma . momH Hm6.H ml mi | O‘ NHN 0H «ma «0 Hofi mm mom NnH mH Hmcanz Hanan .wcfluuwz xmwuo v. cwnu Hence HMDOH nnm mmmg * Hunmmnum nmwmnnm cmmnw canon 66m cunoanm: Lmnmnsm msoocmafiwomfiz madamnu mung: emu“ Hanan 65m cmnm new now [an mmmn Luzoamwan Smuuumo emmauanm “no wsHm cmwwumu Honcmnu mmwoomm mama Baum kumzzmoum emmnausn aomnm ammo “axonmanmu no>am assumes euaoanumam onmwwnu omocmnoA unneedm monummm pwsom mwfiowmw .m anuH ndam moon oh.~. an.“ m~.m no.“ nmou mm.a ¢¢.H ¢H6N mo.N NNcN m¢.N H¢.N .3 006a ommuwmw :H .- m¢ m omo¢umn6N Chou onuqromoa Doom:mhom OOoMIMN-H mQ.MnhnoH mm.aaom.H ow.m-wm.o mn.m:mm.a moom-wm.H ma.m:Nm.a mmomabn.H mq.m:mc.a NH.Muhm.a omomrma.0 unwed =M : on .am no moa now «me nsm.u mod on“ man «an Hum new mmm «SH omm.a hmn pawns; i>4 oounm 0d mdmuoq nqm-00 sms10N Hom.u-on nea.m-noH Hmmuauom mas.m-mu Hmo.a-ns emu.a-nm muo.~-n6 www-6m 6mm.m-oo on6-mu 66“.“-6mh mmm.~-onm mmnum usage: mad moH maa OMa and NON mmm m0¢ 0mm can «mm mum mma mam mom mma woo and SE numcmA Ipd nHH nHHaMm maa OON-00H 00miomA mmm-maa oom-omu oon-oom mhqunma ONQIOOH nMMummH omquoma own-mad ONManHA omqnmma owmumw Odhuooo Ononomm omcum nausea no.0 H0.0r 00.0 no.0 um: .um 00H pom own: H0.0 mmoo qa.0 .um cod Ham .0: Ho.0¥ mm.0 Ho.oa Hm.0 mm.0 m0.a dm.N wmoo Hm.m mh.H ma.~ mm.H anon _.upmm6m no name mom «n.6Nm.H mo.th .m0.nnn qm.amm n0.mm m0.mNH 06.6mm 66.6m sm.- os.mm oq.~a 6N.Hmu m6.mm .os.mm 6H.6~ 6H.ooH mammmm .mna HmHOH .nfiaumuqnmu mm.m m0.0 0N6H mm.0 nm.¢n @0.mw «H.0H 0n.0 Nd.H mm.a Nb.w 0m.m h0.N ma.q Md.0 mh.m Hanauz mo ammo Hum mafi.m HI *‘I mm mm. cusp mmmq % HduoH Hmuoa sum amfimnnw Huwmcoa Huummnnm nmflwcdm “wooed amamnSm amend nusoahmz Ill-Iii zmnmcSm anomamaawumax ANN Ha mud saw mam Hm me can sum m6 cm 00 Monasz. Huuoh kuoa Adm ofimnduu manB mmon ausoaomumq Luamumu omonumam Swamumu Hwncmfiu mammmmwimmmm HauOH mum ssuo noudunmmum owonaasn.onamw odoaaann xuoam ano Hoxonmaudo Hosea nammmnn nuSOSanam wonm “Suwanee Haw omocmnog Hum nouuonm mammmmmlmmmmm moaummw doma a moma wcauumz Houuoum 0364. .4 oHnflH