TPWD 1954 F-5-R-1 #69: Inventory of Species Present in Lake Brownwood, Brownwood, Texas

‘14} STATE Texas PROJECT F 5~R 1, Job B PERIOD June 22, 1953 — June 92; 195 \J’l Job Completion Report Lawrence S. Campbell 4’!” TITLE Inventory of Species Present in Lake Brownwood, Brownwood, Texas. OBJECTIVES To determine the species present and their relative abundance and to determine the ecologicai factors influencing their distribution. PROCEDURE One hund.red and sixteen gill nets were set for twentv nine collections from Lake Brownwood. Experimental nwlor gill nets, mea.snr1ng l25 ft. lone a 8 ft. in depth, and made up in five, 25 ft. sections were used. Mesh size for these nets increased progressw ively in each foli.owina section a.t onemhalf inch intervals beginning with oneminch mesh and terminaong with a three inch mesh section. Fortrethree seining collections were made at sixteen seining stations in the reserm ir. In nearly all collections both 26 ft. i‘ mesh bag seines and 15 ft if common sense seines were need. To estimate relative abundance a count was made of all individuals tak~ an in two hauls with a 26 ft. %” bag seine for each collection. In addition to that work other seining collections were made to determine seasonal distribution of species and to secure samples of fry after the spring spawning season for fishes. For this latter work a ft. common sense with meshes of i inch and 1/16 inch were used. Water analysis to determine dissolved carbon dioxide and oxygen content was taken an “inset on and surface temperat ore ., pH and the climatic conditions were recordd sch netting and seining collection. Turbidity was taken on four occasions. {1‘3 :73 (£3 for for In netting collections samples from each collection for each species were weighed, meesnred and seven in the field A scale sample was taken and stomachs containing food tiers preserved for laboratory stndv Simi.]ar *Jork for seining collections included iden» tificstion and counting only and where identity of an individual was questioned the fish was preserved in 10. formalin. FINDENG Lass Erownwood is located appr oximately'8.5 miles north of the City of Brownwood. The dam crea.ting the reservoir is located aoout oneuha f mile below the confluence of Jim Mad Greek and. Pecan Bajoo, is earth fill construction and l ,5oO ft. long. The reservoir was cons tract-ed bw Brown County Water Improvement District and the impounded .water is prim mari13r for the municipal and indns ti ial consumption of Brownwood, Coleman and Bangs. iow« ever, abont five thousand acres are irrigated either directly or by submsnrface seepage om the reservoir. When at emergency spillway level, the lake has 8,000 surface acres and contains an estimated l3?,300 acre feet of water. When filled the lake has about 95'miies of shoreline P0 The cor t1ibuoing watershed of 1,535 square miles is Coleman. Breckenridge and Peeps limestone formation and top soils are usually alluvial deposits near streamuays I . various cl.ays3 loans and sands on higher ground. There are fifty different soil types in the co dusty Vegetative cover for the watershed is predominantly oa.k grassland association, and the area is currently employs ed for farming with a lesser acreage for ranching. Climate for the teetershed is semi a.rid. The average annual rainfall is 27.4u inches. and the average annual discharge for Pecan Bayou and Jim Ned Creek is 1669 f. s. A.maximum discharge of 52,700 c. f. s. was recorded in October lg 30 a.nd recent a.verage were 20.8 c. f. s. for l953 and s.95 c. f. s. for 1952. The lakeis water is clear, 0.0 turbidity. The maximum surface temperature rem corded was 84 degrees F. and a minimum of Ml degrees F. was recorded. pH was 8.h - 8.5. Maximum carbon dioxide registered l8 ppm and the minimum oxygen recorded at that time was 2.5 ppm. Dissolved carbon dioxide was usually about ll w 12 ppm and oxygen usually about 5 m 8 ppm. Pr incipsl species of aouatic vegetation in the upper lake shallow flats are bull» rushes {Scirpus sp. ) and along the south shore arrowheads (Sagittaria latifolia and S. platyphyila) and pondueeds (Potomogeton na.tans and P. spirillus) are present in depths to eight feet. In several small protected areas, mainly boat docks, parrot feather (Myriam phyllum sp.) and mushgrass (Chara 5;.) occur. However, because of semiuannual fluctuations in the is he level dense concentrations of aquatics are rare and usually semimpermanent. Netting Results it 500 ft. of experimental gill nets were set at 18 different stations and caught 197l individuals of eleven generas. As shown in Table 1, white bass (Morena chrysops) and reard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) are probably dominant species for Lake Brounwood. Howm er a combin.ed total for a] types sampling indicate largemouth black bass (Micropterus salmoides) and shite crappie (Pomoais annular is) may be increashg and river carpsuckers {Carpiodee carpio)y carp (Cyprinus carpio) and smallmouth buffalo (lotiobus bubalus) popm ulations say be declining. It is considered likely that the percentage by weight figures presented in Table ll are more accurate in representing the importance of the latter spews cies. Thirteen species were taken and the average catch was .135 fish per foot experimenw tal not set. Table ll may be more accurate in illustrathg the importance of flathead catm fish {Pilodictue olivarisl. Seining Results fem iir'sp cies were taken in seining collections. Thirty-eight collections caught 3 disidrcls. The comparatively small number of individuals taken by seining as comm pared tr other lease is explained by a lack of suitable seining stations. Howeber, Table lll is probably more accurate in illustrating the importance of such species as mosquitom f a ambusia affinie), plains minnow (Hybognathus placitus) and killifish. (Fundulus sp.} $2 ~cause of the apparent increases in largemouth'blach bass and white crappie and ”s believed th.at seining results are inadequate for accurate expression, it is recs roman den that this stud 3 ca continued for another year. o0 a o o emu a I o mcm om“ gimufi w - magmfl%msm um . o . o _ o o _ 0 Nfl m m sea 0mg: o.mfl xflmfi am.& 0% mm mam mam m.m M.m w mfla fl gum wfifioaam . mfl _ owe , wmwwofifimm mshmpmahuwz ..._ _ .HH 0 o n m a o o c “on omaw om.m opwm mafia p.ma mam om.m ow wa om“? w ampmpomfim wfihfiflfipoH Wfiflwflfifl. mfiflfiw PUH oflmhmo msgwpgau .. mm» .. «H Hm _ _ :0Hm; ;.... ; . ..maa Hon .ou . _ i _ _ _ - w Goa & .0: fi .02 $ .oz { 002 fi 902 $ “oz fl 002 a .ez wmfloagm . 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White base and gizzard shad apparently dominate much of the lake, however largemcuth black base and white crappie may be increasing. Because of the difficulty in locating suitable gaining stations it is concludm ed that the sample of l,MTl individuals taken in 38 collections is inadequate. However, trends indicated by eeining results and increase in largemcuth base and white crappie may be important. Because of the apparent increases in largemouth black base and crappie and because it is believed that seining results are inadequate fer accurate expreen sien, it is recommended that this study be continued for another year. X}? (3‘1. «4 i a checklist of Species of Fish Taken from Lake Brmmwced Common Name Lengnese gar liaaard shad Smallmeuth huffale Black buffalo River carpsucker Gray redherse sucker German carp Plains Shiner Red shiner Blacktail shiner Plains minnow Parrot minnow Banded hillifiah Southern channel catfish Flathead catfieh Gammon mesquitefieh White bass Largemnuth black base Vermouth haae Green aunfish Spetted sunfish Redear sunfish Bluegill Western lengear sunfish White crappie Legperch reshwater drum June 22, l953 to June 22, 195% Scientific Name Lepisosteue Deseus Doresoma cepedianum Ictiebus bubalus Ictiobus niger Carpiedes carpie Meacstema congestum Cyprinus carpie Notrcpis perccbromus thropis lutrensie Netrepia venuetue Hybegnathus placitus Pimephalea vigilax Fundulus netatus Ictalurua punetatue Piledietus olivaris Qambusia affinia Mernne ehryecpa Miercpterue ealmeidea Chaenehryttua cerenariua Lepemis cyanellua Lepemis punetatus Lepcmis micrclephus Lepemis humilis Lepnmis megalntis Pomcxie annularis Percina capredea Aplodinetus grunniens LAke Boww wood