TPWD 1954 F-5-R-1 #104: Concho River Pollution Study Segment Completion Report 1954

--- Page 1 --- a segment Completion Report Lawrence Campbell OBJECTIVES 5 To determine the source and nature of natural and man-made pollutants which affect the populations. PROCEDURE In conjunction with other jobs for this project, a search was made for sources of pollution in all of the waters under study. The only instance of man-made pollution where the cause and responsibility were lieved to be accurately known occured when a sewage retaining tank, owned by the City of San Ang gelo ier owed and released raw sewage into theConcho River about one-half i) 3 a 3 fa mile below Bell Street Dam. Discovery and examination of the contaminated area was not accomplished until at least twelve hours after the first fish were reported to have ss @ Qs Cu fai 6 & that time the dissolved oxygen content was 3.5 ppm and dissolved carbon di- was 16 ppm. A second water analysis was taken about one hundred yards above the where sewage entered the river and in that locality dissolved carbon dioxide was p and oxygen was 10 ppm. The exact number of fish destroyed and the completeness of the fish kill was impossible to determine. However, twenty- -elight Smallmouth ouffalo, D carp, twenty-one river carp suckers, fourteen freshwater drum, eight red horse four largemouth black bass, eleven southern channel catfish, ies flathead cat- two white crappie carcasses were counted. Only adult fish were included in - In addition to these many gizzard shad, sunfishes and shiners were also Pools containing fish carcasses included about one-half Mile of the stream below the point appeared to be unaffected. Since insufficient evidence 1 beesuse the delay in examination of the area, and because city officials ‘ing to prevent a re-occurre of the pollution while finding a more adequate ewage disposal, no charges were filed. Malicious pollution with rotenone was two pools of the North Concho salle however subsequent investigation failed veal the identity of ae © persons responsible for these violations. In addition toa these known ion possible oil field pollution may oceur on the South Concho River nee has been found to date, Pal % flo Pte s cr he oO [-~ ys 5 SUMMARY 1. Only one instance of pollution where responsibility was determined occured during this segment. - Insufficient evidence was available to determine the extent of damage resulting from an overflow of the City of San Angelo sewage disposal system into the Concho River. “ty officials are attempting to prevent a reoccurrence of this pollution and to find a dequate disposal’ system. Iwo pools on the North Concho River were mal aciously polluted by unknown persons. Oil pollution on the South Concho River is suspected, however evidence is lack- e