TPWD 1971 F-5-R-18 #1381: Region I-B Fisheries Studies: Fisheries Management Recommendations, Job Progress Report

JOB PROGRESS REPORT As required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project Noe FmSmelS REGION ImB FISHERIES STUDIES Job No” 13 Fisheries Management Recommendations Project Leader: Billy Jr Follis James.U. Cross Executive Director Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas Marion Toole J; M. Beall D‘J Coordinator Director, Current Operations July 1, 1971 131: ME Summary Fishery surveys were conducted on 19 public waters in Region l-B, These surveys included: (1) Fish pepulation sampling with gill nets, seines, and trawl. (2) Collection of physical, hydrological and ecological data. (3) Aquatic vegetation observations, and (4) Water analysis Preliminary meetings and public hearings were attended for the Permian Basin and Edwards Plateau Regulatory Districtso The existing fisheries re- gulations were considered satisfactory and no changes were made, Many regional waters were greatly reduced by drought during the past year, Also, the Colorado and Concho Rivers were adversely affected by the dry weather, Four small lakes were chemically renovated when they became extremely low in late summer and early fall, Three other area reservoirs meet the criteria for renovation, and management efforts are being studied, Eighteen public lakes and portions of three rivers received supplemen- tary hatchery stocking. These waters received 680,970 fry and fingerling fish representing five Species from local state hatcheriesu Job Progress Report State of Texas Name: Region_le Fisheries Studies Project N003 FeSmelS Title: Fisheries Management 1: Recommendations Job No0: 13 & Period Covered: March l, l9?0 to February 28, l9?l Objectives: To determine the need for, in Region lmB waters: (1) Changes in fish harvest regulations (2) Population control (3) Stocking (4) Vegetation control (5) Emergency measures needed to correct unpredictable events adversely affecting fish populations (6) medating public access information Procedures: Existing fisheries regukations, along with data from current fisheries surveys of concerned waters, provided the basis for the proposal of fish harvest regulationsg Preliminary meetings for the Edwards Plateau and Permian Basin Regulatory Districts were attended and the proposed regulations were discussed with concerned department personnelo These proposed regulations were presented to the public through public hearings in each of the counties under regulatory responsibilityo Procedures for Objectives 2 through 5 will be merged for expediency and clarity, The findings and discussion will be reported separately for each cone cerned body of water for the same reasonso Fishery surveys were made on all major public waters during this segment (Table l), The more important ones received two or more visits, The minor or small impoundments were checked oncemeand on one or two occasions, extremely low water inhibited a completed survey; Fish populations were sampled with standard gill nets, seines, and trawl when possible, The standard gill net used is 150 feet long and 8 feet deep with mesh sizes varying from 1 to 3% Square inches, Additional large mesh gill nets were used to more adequately sample some fish populations and will be shown on each netting table concernedg Table 1 Waters Surveyed During This Segment Name County Number of Visits Champion Creek Reservoir : Mitchell 2 Colorado City Reservoir Mitchell 2 Colorado River Concho l Concho River Tom Green 1 Cosden Lake Howard 1 Elm Creek Reservoir Runnels l E, V0 Spence Reservoir Coke 3 Jo Bo Thomas Reservoir Borden & Scurry 2 Moss Creek Reservoir Howard 2 Mountain Creek Reservoir Coke l Nasworthy Lake . Tom Green 2 Oak Creek Lake Coke 2 San Angelo Reservoir Tom Green 1 San Saba River ' Menard & Schleicher 2 Towle Park Lake Scurry 1 Twin Buttes Reservoir Tom Green 1 Valley Creek Lake Runnels 1 New Winters Lake Runnels 1 Old Winters Lake Runnels l The number of nets set was determined by the size of the impoundment and water conditions, The size of seines and trawl used is given with each survey results tableo A trawling sample unit was a 10-minute drag at approximately 5 mpha All fish collected in gill nets were counted, weighed, and measuredo A sample of fish (usually up to 15 of each game species) was examined to deter~ mine sexual development and stomach contento Total numbers, total weights, percentages, average weights, and condition ("K" factor) were tabulateda Fish taken in seines and trawl were counted and a length range was recorded“ Several specimens of each species were preserved in formalin solution and re- turned to the laboratory where identifications were confirmedo A comparison of the average coefficient of condition ("K" factors) for all game species collected with gill nets at all waters-surveyed is given in Table 2° Vegetation checks were made during each survey and records were made as to the kind and abundance, This information will be discussed only when significanto a Nmom a a - ekom i. 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Hoooocu Auooofloooov N oaomH mowoonm oaoo mo maooomm :M: mmmoo>¢ mo oowwwooaoo mama moouoHB oao axed mnoooHB 3oz oxma zoonu moHHoD oxmg mouoom GHBH mama auom oHBOH oo>fim meow com on4 oHowom com mama xoouo goo oxmd msouosmoz mama xoooo owmooooz mama xoooo mmoz mama moaosfi om on axed ooooam 0> OH oqu xoooo Eam axed ooumoo Ho>Hm osoooo oo>Hm cowooaoo axed %uwu ovoHoHoo oxoq xoowo commamso Air and water temperatures, hydrological records, turbidity, weather cone ditions, and other physical data were recorded in each survey, Also, water analysis including dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, alkalinity, total hardm ness, chlorides, and pH were conducted, This information will be discussed in the report when pertinent O waters would be considered for chemical control measuresfi The criteria for considering chemical management efforts were populations of undesirable species in excess of 80 per cent by either weight and/or number, lake capacities, and the “costwbenefit ratio" of a treatment, Most of the public waters surveyed this segment were recommended for supplementary hatchery stocking for one or more of the following reasonm (l) _the degree and survival of game fish reproduction, (2) water levels, (3) food availability, (4) fishing pressure, and (5) past production recordso Table 3 presents the 1970 supplementary hatchery stocking for all public waters in Region leBo Findings and Discussion: Objective No, 1 Only one change in the fishing regulations in Region l=B was recommended and it failed to meet Departmental approvalo This proposal recommended that all trotlines provide the name and address of the fishermen on a legible permanent tago The primary purpose of this recommendation was to assist in eliminating abandoned trotlines in most of the public waters in West Texas that are a detriment and nuisance to other sportsmeno Otherwise, the existing fisheries regulations were found to be satisfactory for the present fishery resources in this regiono Table 4 presents the loose tions, dates, and number of persons present at the public hearings that concern Water withdrawal from this Texas Electric Service Company auxiliary lake has greatly reduced its size in the past yearo It has never reached its maximum size of 1,560 acres, and the water level has dropped some 30 feet in the past three yearso The water is being transferred to the nearby Colorado City Lake to serve as a supplementary coolant for operating the electric generating planto Lakes Champion Creek Colorado City Cosden Elm Creek E, V, Spence J, B, Thomas Kinarum Moss Creek Mountain Creek Nasworthy Oak Creek Robert Lee (Old) San Angelo Towle Park Twin Buttes Valley Creek New Winters Lake Old Winters Lake Colorado River Robert Lee Concho River Bell Street Ben Ficklin Christoval Lone Wolf Spring Creek San Saba River Menard Largemouth Bass 39,000* 15,000 3,000 26,000 40,510 300 2,000 271,000a 43,135 33,725 2,000 5,000 1,000 300 Table 3 “chéfifiéi‘y Catfish ,20,600 2,000 3,000 16,000 500 2,000 3,000 20,000 340,000 800 800 10,500 5,000 £1,500 1,000 200 5,000 4,000 12,000 6,000 3,000 5,000 White I--- Crappie Public Water Stocking - 1970, Region l-B All fingerling stocking except noted, * fry or advanced fry, Hybria"'“ Redéar"‘ Sunfish Table 4 Regulatory Hearings Concerning Project FwSmR, 1970 Permian Basin Area (Town) 4 Number County Location Date Present Andrewsa Andrews 6 3= 70 0 Borden Gail 6 2 70 0 Cochran* Morton 6 l 70 0 Cokea Robert Lee 6 3 70 9 Crosbyaa Crosbyton 6 l 70 0 Dawson* Lamesa 6 3 70 7 Ector* Odessa 6 4 70 l Gainsa Seminole 6 3 700 GarzaM Post 6 l 70 0 Glasscock Garden City 6 4 70 0 Howard Big Spring 6e 3 703 Irion* Mertzon 6 w4 700 Kent** Jayton 6e 1 7O 0 Martin Stanton 6 3 70 0 Midland Midland 6 3 70 0 Mitchell Colorado City 6 2 70 4 Reagan Big Lake 6 4 701 Runnels* Ballinger 6 4 700 Scurry Snyder 6 2m 70 0 Sterling* Sterling City 6 3 70 0 Terry* Brownfield 6m 2 70 0 Tom Green% San Angelo 6 m4 70 3 Yoakum* Plains 6 2m 70 0 Edwards Plateau Area Menarda Menard 6m2~70 NR Schleichera Eldorado 6m2m70 NR NR m Official Attendance Not Reported *3 a Not in Region leB, but hearing attended by F~5mR personnel W m In Region l-B, but not attended by PBS-R personnel The most significant change in the fish population is the tremendous inn crease in gizzard shad, Only one specimen of this problematic species had been collected in this lZ-yearmold lake prior to 1969, whereas netting during this period of study produced 354 shad which comprised 45,50 per cent of the netting collection (Table 5), Bluegill, white bass, channel catfish, and largemouth bass comprise the majority of the game fish taken which accounted for only 28 per cent by number and 33 per cent by weight of the combined netting, This is a substantial decrease from the 1968 collection when desirable fish represented B per cent by number and accounted for 47 per cent of the total weight, However, Champion Creek continues to be the most productive sunfish lake in the area, Small bluegill, blacktail shiners, and gizzard shad were found to be the most prominent forage available, Moderatemto-heavy growths of bushy pondweed (Najas sp,) were common, but not a hindrance to fishermen, Channel catfish fingerlings were stocked fairly heavy, as shown in Table 3, Table 5 Champion Creek Reservoir Survey Results May 19, 20 and August 26, 1970 Results of eighteen standard gill nets and six large mesh nets, 'Péi'Céht“Tot61'th"Ang'th"Pér'Ceht"Avéragé Species Number by No, Pounds Pounds by Wt, "K" Gizzard shad 354 45,50 216,00 ,6l 31,05 Carp 44 5,65 210,00 4077 30,20 Golden Shiner 156 20.05 31041 ,20 4,51 River carpsucker 3 039 9,52 3,17 1,37 Channel catfish* 48 6,17 79,6l 1,65 llo45 2,04 Flathead catfish* 5 .64 29,84 5,96 4,29 2,29 White bassa 39 5,01 28,93 ,74 4ol6 2,68 Warmouth* l ,13 113 ,13 .01 3,85 Green sunfish* l .13 .l8 ,l8 ,03 4,62 Bluegilla 84 10,80 41,63 . ,49 5,99 4,37 Largemouth bass* 12 l,54 35,55 2096. Soil 2,34 White crappie* 31 3099 l207l .41 1,83 2076 Total 0 , Game Fish* 221 28,41 228,58 32,87 Rough Fish 557 71 59 466,93 67,13