TPWD 1955 F-2-R-2 #173: Job Completion Report: Inventory of the species present and their distribution in those portions of the San Gabriel River and Brushy Creek within Region 6-B

--- Page 1 --- STATE _ Texas PROJECT F-2-R=2, Job B-10 PERIOD June 1, 1954 to Nov. 30, 195 Job Completion Report 17 i \L by Billy D. Cooper TITLE Inventory of the species present and their distribution in those portions of the San Gabriel River and Brushy Creek within Region 6-B, which were not covered in Job B=-7, Project F-2-R~1. OBJECTIVES To continue andcompete the study of the rivers begun under Job B~7, Project F-2-R-1. METHODS Seine and rotenone collections were made in the following waters of Burnet and Milam Counties; the North San Gabriel River in Burnet County, six collections; The San Gabriel River in Milam County, four collections; Brushy Creek in Milam Coun- ty, two collections. (See Table 1 and the appended map for location of stations. ) All seine collections were made with 6' x i and 10' x 4" common sense seines and/or with a 26' x 6' bag seine with zd" mesh. Seining collections were made at stations one, three, four, five, six and seven on the North San Gabriel River in Burnet County and at statiorm eight and elev- en on the San Gabriel in Milam County. Rotenone collections were made at stations eight and eleven on the San Gab- riel River and thirteen and fourteen on Brushy Creek in Milam County. Seine and rotenone specimens were taken to the laboratory for identification and counting after preservation with ten percent formalin. Large rotenone specimens were identified and counted in the field. Thermal, chemical and ecological data were recorded for each station in con= junction with Job A-4, Project F-2-R-2. FINDINGS The combined streams yielded a total of 33 species representing nine fami-~ lies. A total of 12 species were taken in the North San Gabriel River in Burnet County, 32 species were taken in the San Gabriel River in Milam County, and 18 spec- ies were collected in the Brushy Creek in Milam County. Table tf shows a breakdown by species of the specimens collected by seining. Table III gives the percentages and numbers of each species taken in two rotenone collections from each stream. A list showing the distribution of the species collected during the study has not been included since the study area is small and the work done is merely a continuation of the work begun under Job B-7, Project F-2-R-1. --- Page 2 --- : Qn Seining collections in the North San Gabriel River, in Burnet County, pro- duced 12 species of fishes. The fishes most abundant and most widely distributed were the red shiner, blacktail shiner ami the longear sunfish. The green sunfish, largemouth black bass, spotted bass and the stoneroller were taken in one~half or more of the collections but were limited in number. The bluegill sunfish, orange- throat darter, mosquitofish, parrot minnow and mimic shiner were fishes taken in only one collection. Scarcity of water in the SanGebriel River in Milam County limited collec tions to two locations. These areas were first seined and later treated with rotenone, A total of 10 species were taken by seining in the first collection while 28 species were later collected with rotenone. The most abundant species were the: longear sunfish, tadpole madtom, black bullhead, ghost shiner and the red shiner. Those fish next in order of abundance were the: blacktail shiner, parrot minnow, channel catfish and the river carpsucker. Collection stations on Brushy Creek were dry or had very little water when first visited and could not be collected. After a rain the stations were again visited and two of them were treated with rotenone. The creek was not rune ning but water was present in the larger pools. A total of 18 species were collect- ed from two stations using the rotenone. The presence of channel catfish in the collections might indicate that a repopulation of the stream section occured from downstream since no catfish were taken from upstream collections. (Job B-7, Proj- ect F-2-R-1.) This occurrence could be explained in that the catfish were more resistant to turbid conditions following a rain and could move into an area that other fishes could not tolerate. The remainder of the fish population might eas-= ily have existed in the very shallow pools along the stream before the rain. No ecological preference of the fishes could be noted since all fish were restricted to ahallow or medium depth pools at all collection stations. SUMMARY 1. The field work cf this job was done in conjunction with Job A+-4 and is a continuation of Job B-7, Project F-2-R-1. 2. A total of two collections were made on Brushy Creek, Milam County, six collections on the North San Gabriel River in Burnet County and four collections on the San Gabriel River in Milam County. 3. The distribution breakdown is as follows: Brushy Creek, 18 species, 7 families North San Gabriel, 12 species, 4 families San Gabriel, 32 species, 9 families 4, No ecological distribution of the fishes found in the streams could be noted since all fish were restricted to shallow or medium depth pools. --- Page 3 --- 3. Table 1 North San Gabriel River (Burnet County) a serge es npenonneracecinomeanmen anes gs Station No. Location is Russell Fork North San Gabriel, 6 mi. NE Bertram 2's Russell Fork North San Gabriel, 5 mi. N Burnet on Farm Road 963. North San Gabriel River, 5 mi. SE Lake Victor ° North San Gabriel River 3 mi. NNW Tamega North San Gabriel River, crossing at Joppa Russell Fork North San Gabriel, 2 mi. S Joppa North San Gabriel River, 4 mi. SW Mahomet on Farm Road 243 ° “AIO Ew San Gabriel River (Milam County) { ee! Station No. Location 8. 3 mi. S town San Gabriel on Farm Road 486 9. 6 mi. SE town San Gabriel on county road LO. 7 mi. NW Rockdale on county road ll. 6 mi. N Rockdale on Farm Road 487 Brushy Creek (Milam County) Station No. Location 12. 1 mi. E Thorndale on Texas Highway 79 13. 6 mi. E Thorndale on county road 14. 5 mi. NW Rockdale on county road Table 1. Locations of survey stations used during study period under Job B-10, Project F-2-R-2, Basic Survey of the Remaining Portions of the San Gabriel River and Brushy Creek within Region 6-B, Which Were Not Covered in Job B-7, Project F-2=-R= --- Page 4 --- Species L. productus . venustus ee] ee lutrensis - volucellus » Vigilax anomalum notatus . affinis [= |e ar . Salmoides ic - megalotis a: cyanellus - Spectabile ik a. scierus io | . promelas punctulatus macrochirus Stations 13 45 67 9 57 21 12 9 37 14 3 8 34 1 6 3 9 2 1 61313 2452 6 1 3 267 h, Table 11. To- % of Station To- tal Total 8 11 tal 1 . 1 99 «26.259 62 1 63 63 16.710 22 1 23 So 2.122 34 «9.018 16 ahh L 1 2 0.530 38 38 10 2.652 12 3.183 7 7 114 30.238 34 EA 35 13) 3.448 2 0.530 7 7 4 1.061 3 3 1 1 % of Total 0.558 33 195 12.849 0.558 21.229 3.910 19.553 3.910 1.675 0.558 Sn nmnmenereeeenee ne Total 18 30 67 140 99 23 377 99.995 176 3 179 99 «995 SR | Table 11. Seining Collections North San Gabriel River, Burnet County and San Gabriel River, Milam County. Job B-10 Project F-2-R-2, June Through November 195). --- Page 5 --- Name of Species Lepisosteus platostomus Dorosoma cepedianum Carpiodes carpio Moxostoma congestum Cyprinus carpio Notropis venustus Notropis lutrensis Notropis volucellus Notropis buchanani Hybognathus nuchalis Pimephales vigilax Campostoma anomalum Ictalurus punctatus Ameiurus melas Ameiurus natalis Pilodictus olivaris Schilbeodes gyrinus Gambusia affinis Micropterus punctulatus Micropterus salmoides Chaenobryttus coronarius Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis macrochirus Lepomis humilis Lepomis megalotis Hadropterus scierus Percina caprodes Etheostoma chlorosomum Etheostoma spectabile Aplodinotus grunniens Table lll. 5 Table 111 San Gabriel River Brushy Creek Number Percent Number Percent 7 0.686 ~o -- 5 0.490 2h 1.758 37 3.627 6 0.439 2 0.196 -- — Z 0.098 2 0.146 yh 4.313 -= -- 127 12.450 146 10.695 4 0.392 -- == orn 9.215 _— ae -= -~ 1 0.073 70 6.682 56 4,102 30 2.941 -- “= 53 5.196 5 0.366 133 - 13.039 219 16.043 20 1.960 113 8,278 5 0.490 2 0.146 92 9.019 22 1.611 11 1.078 508 37.216 9 0.882 a _ iH 0.392 _ ~“ 18 1.764 10 0.732 18 1.764 92 6.739 14 1.372 h 0.293 7 0.686 37 2.710 186 18.235 117 8.571 5 0.490 -< _ 10 0.980 — _ 1 0.098 1 0.073 9 0.882 — _ y 0.392 a _ 1,020 99.989 : 1,365 99.991 Results of Rotenone Collections, San Gabriel River, Milam County, and Brushy Creek, Milam County. 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