(1954–1959) 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 Shelby Counties

--- Page 1 --- STATE Texas PROJECT NO, F-3-R-2, Job A-3 PERIOD July I, 1954 to May 31, 1959 Job Completion Report by Robert J. Kemp, dr. 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. : é 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 pottom itself can be divid ed into two distinct classifications. Since much of the upper Sabine River drains off the Blacklani Prairie, the bottoms in Van Zndt 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 400 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 11 - 20 ppm in the ppper regions where no oil wells were present. From the middle of Wood County on, salinity varied from 43 ppm during low water to 426 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 bottom 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 14 ppm. Total alkalinity varied from 60 to 115 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. --- Page 2 --- 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 46 to 234 ppm with an average of 119 ppm. Total alka- linity was 14 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 tur- bidity, pH and alkalinity while the Lower river has low turbidity, pH and alkalinity. 4. Upper two counties the river got down into hdles while lower portion had some running water the year around. 5. A “typical locality in the "blaclkland 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 Coll. No. S-P-1-1 SEINING COLLECTION SPOILED Locality - Sta. #27, Sabine River Date - 7/15-54 Collector- R. J. Kemp, Jr. Time - 8:50 AM Description - 125 ft. wide, up to 8ft. deep Shoreline - Sandy loam; clay; banks with 30°slope 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, + in. mesh --- Page 3 --- 3. FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P-l-2 Micropterus punctulatus 1 Locality - Sta. #27 -Sabine River Notropis lutrensis 266 Date - 8/17/54 Notropis venustus 190 Collector - R. J. Kemp, Jr. Notropis atherinoides 4 Time - 8:15 AM Pimephales vigilax 64 Description: Same as above Notropis sabinae 225 Weather: Clear and warm Fundulus notatus 28 Tackle: Bag seine, 26 x 6, i" mesh Gambusia affinis 17 2 hauls of 50 ft. each Amocrypta clara 7 Lepomis macrochirus 15 Lepomis auritus 144 Carpiodes carpio 22 Total 983 FISH CARD Coll. No. 5-P-1-3 Carpiodes carpio ii Locality - Sta. #27 Sabine River Notropis atherinoides 50 Date - 10/7/54 Notropis sabinae 29 Time - 9:45 AM Notropis buchanani 145 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, 4" mesh Gambusia affinis 8 Labidesthes sicculus 1 Lepomis auritus aE Total 680 FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P-1-4 Notropis lutrensis 2, 312 Locality - Sta. #27 Sabine River Notropis sabinae 116 Date - 11/10/54 Notropis buchanani 82 Collector - R. J. Kemp, Jr. Notropis maculatus 1 Time - 10330 AM : Pimephales vigilax 50 Description - same as above Fundulus notatus 1 Weather: Clear Gambusia affinis T Tackle: Bag seine 26 x 6, ¢" mesh Lepomis macrochirus z Lepomis megalotis 2 Carpiodes carpio 1 FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P-L-5 Lepomis macrochirus in Locality - Sta. #27 Sabine River Chaenobryttus coronarius z Date - 11/19/54 Lepomis. megalotis 6 Colléctor - R. J. Kemp, Jr. Gambusia affinis fF Time - 10:10 AM Etheostoma gracile 1 Description: River up and rising; al very turbid Pimephales vigilax 5 Weather - clear; 15 mph NW wind Notropis venustus 2 Air Temp. 54°Rr Notropis lutrensis 4.80 --- Page 4 --- h FISH CARD (con 'da) Water Temp. 57OF Notropis sabinae Ok Tackle: 26 x 6, ¢" mesh Notropis buchanani 28 Total 698 FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P-1-6 Notropis lutrensis 389 Locality - Sta. #27 Sabine River Notropis buchanani 230 Date - 12/10/54 Hybopsis aestivalis T Collector - R. J. Kemp, Jr. Hybognathus nuchalis 1 Time - 10:10 AM Pimephales vigilax 227 Description: Same as S-P-1-1 Etheostoma gracile 4 Weather: Partly cloudy Lepomis megalotis 6 Air Temp. 49°F Total 893 Water Temp. 50°F Tackle: 26 x 6, ¢" mesh FISH CARD Coll. No. S-P-1-7 Notropis sabinae 198 Locality - Sta. #27 Sabine River Notropis lutrensis 280 Date - 1/14/55 Wotropis buchanani 110 Collector - R. J. Kemp, dr. Pimephales vigilax 63 Time - 11:45 AM Total 651 Description: Same as 5-P-l1-L Weather - cloudy Air Temp. 48°F Water Temp. 47°F Tackle: 26 x 6, #4" mesh FISH CARD Coll. No. 5-P-1-N Carpiodes carpio 10 Locality - Sta. No. 27 Sabine River Dorosoma cepedianum 3 Date - 12/17/54 Aplodinoteus grunniens h Collector - R. J. Kemp, Jr. Lepisosteus productus 1 Time - 2 PM to 7 AM Micropterus salmoides af Description - River up several feet at stand still Micropterus punctulatus i Weather - partly cloudy 20 mph wind NW Pomoxis nigro-macubtus 7 Air - Temp. 38°F Poméxis annularis 14 Water Temp. 48°F Lepomis macrochirus 2 Tackles: 16 hoop nets Total kg 8 nets 1" mesh 8 nets 2" mesh --- Page 5 --- ee FISH C Coll. No. S-P-1-N Locality - Sta. #27 Sabine River Date - 12/21/5h Collector - R. J. Kemp, dr. Description; Same as 5-P-1-1 Weather: Air Temp. 34°F Water Temp. 46°F Tackle: 16 hoop nets 8 nets 1" mesh 4 nets 2" mesh 4 nets 3" mesh Pomoxis annularis Micropterus salmoides Micropterus punctulatus Aplodinotus grunniens Total SRE