TPWD 1955 F-7-R-3 #171: An Inventory of the Species of Fishes Present in Buffalo Lake, Texas

--- Page 1 --- STATE Texas PROJECT NO. F7R3, Job B-9 PERIOD June 1, 1955 - May 31, 1956 Ug Segment Completion Report Leo D. Lewis, Project Leader Walter W. Dalquest, Assistant Project Leader TITLE An Inventory of the Species of Fishes Present in Buffalo Lake, Texas. OBJECTIVES To determine the species present and their relative abundance, as well as the ecological factors that govern their distribution. TECHNIQUES Each month, with the exceptions of October 1955 and March 1956, during the project year, collecting trips were made to Buffalo Lake. Several days were spent at the lake on each occasion. Ten to twelve experimental gill nets were set on each visit, and every fish taken in these nets was measured, weighed, and the stage of gona- dal developnent recorded. In addition, filled stomachs of predacious species were saved in formalin, as well as ripe ovaries, pathological tissues, and parasites. Samples of the forage fishes were obtained with the use of small-mesh seines and the complete collections preserved in formalin. In the laboratory the formalin-preserved materials were identified and examined. A part of this data is reported elsewhere (Completion Report, Job B-4, Segment 3.) Physical data, including air temperature, water-surface temperature and turbid- tiy were recorded. Samples of lake water were saved and the pH and dissolved solids present were determined. Ecological data pertaining to the lake were obtained in the usual ways and detailed notes were taken. Insofar as possible, all available information has been presented in the fol- lowing pages in a somewhat standardized form, so that the data might be easily compared with completion reports dealing with other lakes and rivers of Region 1-B, Northcentral and Northwestern Texas. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to express here our appreciation to Dr. Carl Gray, Soils Scientist of Midwestern University and the Wichita County Water Improvement Districts, for making the numerous water analyses so important to this study. BACKGROUND Buffalo Lake lies in Randall County, in the Texas Panhandle, about three miles south of the town of Umbarger and approximately 35 miles southwest of the city of Amar- illo. It was constructed under the Federal Relief Program and was completed in 1939. The lake measures, at spillway level, 1,875 surface acres and contains approximately --- Page 2 --- 2. 18,300 acre-feet of water when filled. The lake is intended for fishing and recreation and is now under the control of the United States Forest Service. Annual patronage is from 250,000 to 300,000 persons per year. Most of these are fishermen and their familie The lake is elongated and rather narrow, occupying the canyon of Tierra Blanca Creek. The dam is at the eastern end of the lake and the creek to the west of the lake is reduced to elongated holes except after rains. The creek below the lake is usually completely dry. The canyon of Tierra Blanca Creek is cut deeply into white Pliocene rock and in places the lake is bordered with white cliffs. The upland is the rolling grasslands of the High Plains, but the immediate environs of Buffalo Lake are more arid and desertlike, with prominent vegetation of yucca and various species of cacti. Close to the lake grow groves of elms, cottonwoods and other broad-leafed trees. The lake occupies an unusually beautiful setting - almost oasis-like in a rugged land of white rock. Good roads surround the lake and the lake is accessible to fishermen almost everywhere. Rarely is it necessary to park one's car more than a few yards from a chosen fishing site, and usually the lake shore is of firm white sand and well shaded by trees. Overnight camping sites are numerous, and meals and cabins are available. FINDINGS Buffalo Lake is an extremely productive lake insofar as number of fishes is concerned. The fish fauna is rather small and unique in some ways. For example, there are no gars, buffalo-fishes or freshwater drum in the lake. White bass were absent until stocked by us (see Completion Report, Job F-1). The forage fish fauna is equally scanty. In total numbers of individuals, the lake is astonishingly rich. We would judge that Buffalo Lake contains more fishes per acre of water than any other lake in Region 1-B. Unfortunately, the lake resembles other lakes in Region 1-B in that the rough fish. vastly outnumber the game species. Among lakes studied to date, Buffalo Lake seems to be most like Lake Kickapoo in fertility, water quality and turbidity. . The plankton fauna of Buffalo Lake is rich, and part of the turbidity of the water is due to plankton. The insect fauna seems limited; dragonflies, damselflies, mid- ges, mosquitos, ete., were noted. Some crayfish, identified by Dr. Horton H. Hobbs of the University of Virgina as procambrus simula, are present, and a species of "freshwater shrimp" was reported but not found by us. Freshwater mussels were found, however. Mule ticellular aquatic vegetation is absent, probably as a result of fluctuating lake level and the extreme turbidity. Vast numbers of waterfowl spend the winter months on the lake, which is a federal game refuge. ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF FISH SPECIES Dorosoma cepedianum. Gizzard Shad. The shai is one of the commonest fishes of the lake and is the commonest of the larger fishes. It makes up about 40% of the population of the larger fishes. It is found almost throughout the lake, from shoreline to mid-lake, but is primarily an open-water, surface form. It is useless as a game fish and inedible for man. Young shad are much utilized by game fishes as food, but the harm done by shad in muddying the water and using space otherwise available to game fishes far offsets their value as forage. The large numbers of shad constitute one of the major problems in managing the fish resources of Buffalo Lake. --- Page 3 --- Carpiodes carpio. River Carpsucker. In most North Texas Lakes, the carp- sucker is a problem as serious as the gizzard shad. The carpsucker is usually extremely abundant and almost inediable, occupying space that could be used by game fishes. Strange = ly enough, the carpsucker is not common in Buffalo Lake, where it constitutes less than two percent of the large-fish population. The carpsuckers of Buffalo Lake are, however, the largest specimens of the species we have ever seen. Cyprinus carpio. European Carp. The carp is the third-most abundant of the larger fishes found in Buffalo Lake, taking the place occupied in most North Texas lakes by the carpsucker. In Buffalo Lake, the relative numbers of the two species seem to be almost the reverse of the usual condition. Although abundant, the carp from the lake rare- ly seem to grow to large size. Carassius auratus. Goldfish. Goldfishes of large size are quite common in Buffalo Lake. They vary considerably in color but bright, orange-red individuals are most common. We suspect that the absence of gars in the lake has permitted the exist- ence of the goldfishes. Carp=-goldfish Hybrids. Hybrids between the carp and goldfish are quite numer= ous in Buffalo Lake. Most individuals are small, less than a half-pound, but some individuals weighing up to five pounds are taken. They are almost perfectly intermediate in characters: face shorter than the carp but longer than the goldfish; color somewhat redder than the carp but far less so than the goldfish; one set of barbels rather than two, as the carp, or none as the goldfish; the "hump" on the back more pronounced than in the carp, but less so than in the goldfish; caudal peduncle deeper than in the carp but less so than in the goldfish. One distinctive feature of the hybrids is the dist- inctness of the lateral line. This is no stronger than in the two parent species, but in those forms it is obscured, in the carp by the scale markings and in the goldfish by the bright red colors. The sexual development of the hybrids is varied. It appears that most males have well-developed gonads from which milt can be pressed in the breeding season of the carp and goldfish. Some hybrids had gonads so small they could not be identified in the field and were preserved in formalin. In the laboratory all were found to be females. A few hybrid females had large ovaries filled with well-developed eggs that appeared ready for fertilization. Pimephales promelas. Fathead Minnow. This minnow is widespread but not abundant in the lake. It is primarily a fish of the pools of the rivers in the PanhanJle, and the original stock may have been native to Tierra Blanca Creek before impoundment. Notropis lutrensis. Red Shiner. Shiners of various species are common in most Texas waters, and Buffalo Lake is the only large body of water known to us where only a single species is found. It is not unexpected that the shiner present is the widespread and abundant red shiner. This species is the only common forage minnow in the lake. Hybognathus nuchalis. Silvery Plains Minnow. This is the common bait minnow of Northern Texas. It is primarily a river species and those found in our seine drags were probably escaped or released bait. However, most of the lakes of Northern Texas now have populations of silvery minnows that apparently were established from released bait animals. --- Page 4 --- Phenacobius mirabilis. Suckermouthed Minnow. Our single record of the sucker- mouthed minnow may have been &@ released bait or have come from a small population devel- oped from released baits. We doubt that it is endemic to Merra Blanca Creek. Sucker- mouthed minnows are primarily stream minnows, but the species is common in Lake Diversion, at least. This is our first record of this fish from the Texas Panhandle. Ictalurus punctatus. Spotted Channel Catfish. Large channel catfish are common in Buffalo Take and mach fishing effortis devoted to the taking of them. The largest specimens are taken by “drift-fishing" and trot lining. Ameiurus melas. Black Bullhead. Bullheads are common in most waters of the Panhandle and at one time were said to be very abundant in Buffalo Lake. We found the species uncommon, possibly as a result of competition with larger catfishes. Pilodictus olivaris. Flathead Catfish. Relatively few of these large catfishes are taken by fishermen at Buffalo Lake, but the species is moderately common there. Our nets did not take any individuals of large size, but doubtless many occur. (Commonly, flathead catfishes exceed 30 pounds in weight and anything over 25 pounds may be consid- ered large). Fundulus kansae. Plains Killifish. Killifishes are common in most Panhandle streams. The Buffalo Lake population may have been trapped by the construction of the dam or may have been introduced as bait, although the species is not greatly used as bait. Killifishes are not lake fishes, but we know of several established popula- tions that have existed in lakes for years. Gambusia affinis. Mosquitofish. The ubiquitous mosquitofish is not common in the lake. Most specimens were taken in shallows and heavy cover. Morone chrysops. White Bass. We introduced a small number of white bass from Lake Diversion to Buffalo Lake two years ago, and a larger number this past spring (under Job Fel). The Species is now well established in Buffalo Lake, and many small individuals were taken by fishermen. We took some large specimens in our gill nets. The species has not become common in the lake yet, and the introductions appear to be less successful than we would have hoped. Micropterus salmoides. Largemouth Black Bass. Largemouth bass have been placed in Buffalo Lake by the Texas Game and Fish Commission on several occasions. Bass, some of large size, are quite common in the lake, and much fishing effort is devoted to their capture. Lepomis humilis. Orangespotted Sunfish. This small, brightly-colored fish seems to be moderately common in Buffalo Lake. Over most of Northern Texas, it is wide- spread but rarely common. Lepomis macrochirus. Bluegill Sunfish. Bluegills are common in the lake but rarely reach one-half pound in weight. Under present conditions, the species is not abundant enough to constitute a pest. Lepomis megalotis. Longear Sunfish. Like the bluegill, the longear sunfish is common, rarely reaches a half-pound in weight, but is not yet a pest in Buffalo Lake. --- Page 5 --- Pomoxis annularis. White Crappie. The crappie is the second-most abundant sarge fish in the lake. Much angling effort is devoted to crappie, especially by inexperienced fishermen, for they are so abundant that they may be easily taken. Large numbers of crappie large enough to eat are taken, but there remains enormous numbers of tiny individuals that constitute a threat to the population of larger game fishes of the lake. The crappie is distinctly over-abundant in Buffalo Lake at this time. Percina caprodes. Logperch. The logperch is moderately common in the lake and in Tierra Blanca Creek. The population is probably endemic. This is the only popula- tion of logperches in the Panhandle, to our knowledge. The species is of erratic distribue tion in Northern Texas and does not occur in saline waters. Lepomis cyanellus. Green Sunfish. Although we took but one green sunfish in Buffalo Lake, we suppose the species is not,uncommon there. In lakes, the green sunfish prefers heavy cover and is difficult to take by ordinary seining methods. --- Page 6 --- 6. Table 1. Total Number of Fishes Taken From Buffalo Lake. Species Number Taken Dorosoma cepedianum D441 Carpiodes carpio 56 Cyprinus carpio 380 Carassius auratus 23 Carassius x Cyprinus hybrids 27 Pimephales promelas 3h2 Notropis lutrensis 2233 Hybognathus nuchalis 14 Ictalurus punctatus 142 Phenacobius mirabilis 1 Ameiurus melas 13 Pilodictus olivaris 10 Fundulus kansae 22 Gambusia affinis 35 Morone chrysops 16 Micropterus salmoides 78 Lepomis cyanellus 1 Lepomis humilis 8 Lepomis macrochirus 12 Lepomis megalotis 10 Pomoxis annularis 1260 Percina caprodes aa --- Page 7 --- Table 2. Percentage Composition of the Forage Fish Fauna of Buffalo Lake. LO LE ELLE EE ALLE OEE CCL ECS LE IA I TE ETC I LC OEE AAALAC LOAN OATES ESC tte reg HeenseneeneeiameetiE Species Number Taken % of Total ‘Sec ec eee ent nt ee tenn ge enn nents —snnansnpnepuntnenenne Pimephales promelas 342 12,7 Notropis lutrensis 2233 83.1 Hybognathus nuchalis 14 5 Phenacobius mirabilis 1 .O4 Fundulus kansae 22 8 Gambusia affinis 35 1.3 Lepomis cyanellus 1 .O4 Lepomis humilis 8 3 Lepomis macrochirus 12 5 Lepomis megalotis 10 aT Percina caprodes 9 °3 2687 100.0 --- Page 8 --- 8, Table 3. Percentage Composition and Sex Ratios of Larger Fishes from Buffalo Lake. ne meme ememecm naan carrmeenrereenammmaraareaeenrreemneernmmme creme emerge ae Species Number Taken 4% of Total % of Males % Females Dorosoma cepedianum 1369 40.9 We 6 55.4 Carpiodes carpio 52 1.6 59.6 hoy Cyprinus carpio 371 11.1 51.8 48,2 Carassius auratus 22 7 50,0 ~ 50.0 Hybrids 26 8 65.4 34.6 Tctalurus punctatus 140 4.2 48.6 51.4 Ameiurus melas 13 4 38.5 61.5 Pilodictus olivaris 10 3 20.0 80.0 Morone chrysops 16 5 31.3 68.7 Micropterus salmoides 7h 2.2 36.5 63.5 Pomoxis annularis 1252 37.4 49,8 50.2 3345 100.1 Table 4. Percentage Composition by Weight andMean Weights of Larger Fishes from Buffalo Lake. Species Weight Taken % of Total Weight Mean Weight Dorosoma cepedianum 829.7 lbs. 39.0% .6 lbs. Carpiodes carpio 146.0 6.9 2.8 Sairiais carpe 474.3 22.3 1.3 arassius auratus 19.7 &d 29 Hybrids =~ —~S~S 14.3 ‘7 6 Ictalurus punctatus 112.8 5.3 8 Ameiuras tas 6.2 3 5 Pilodictus olivaris 2.8 2.9 6.3 rone chrysops 15.3 oT 1.0 Micropterus salmoides 174.3 8.2 2.4 Pomoxis annularis 27h.3 2 = Po ae 2129.7 LBS. Note: Not included in the above two tables are the following fishes taken in seine hauls and counted but not measured or weighed: 72 Dorosoma, 4 Carpiodes, 9 Cyprinus, 1 hybrid, 2 Ictalurus, 4 Micropterus, 8 Pomoxis, 1 Carassius. --- Page 9 --- 9. Table 5. Physical Conditions of Buffalo Lake Water when Fish Samples were Taken. een te rere eee ee ste Air Temperature Water Temperature Turbidity (mm. ) pH ee 6/23/55 18 18 350 8.30 7/20/55 20 23 205 8.05 8/9/55 2h 25 220 7.73 9/15/55 26 22 170 11/9/55 16 7 270 7.90 12/14/55 “1 1 210 8,32 1/18/56 ~3 fe) 200 4/27/56 15 15 110 5/12/56 17 15 200 A A Se sentence nineensunatnnnnioannsaechne tiben-cinenuonrn Table 6. Chemical Conditions of Buffalo Lake Water when Fish Samples were Taken. tne npnenarranunseasaghnssunne Date Caleium Sodium Chloride Sulfate Carbonates Total Salts 6/23/55 70 33 5h 50 127 334 7/20/55 68 23 36 48 159 43h 8/9/55 76 28 hs 4G 633 9/15/55 70 30 6 314 460 11/9/55 78 21 33 292 hob [14/55 92 36 55 317 500 2/28/56 82 92 50 36 329 589 4/27/56 104 118 62 98 379 761 5/7/56 106 124 61 134 339 764 5/12/56 104 124 61 134 339 762 Cc Na AEA sneha eres apa oenspeenunounsrsumnunaenistnn orton, Note: The water sample taken January 18, 1956, froze and shattered in transit. Physical data for February 28, 1956, was lost. Turbidities were measured with an eight-inch Seichi disk. pH was determined with a Beckman pH meter. This machine was out of order on dates when pH is indicated by a dash. Sulfates indicated by dash were insignificant, less than 5 ppm., but were not measured exactly. Carbonates include carbon dioxide, carbonate and bicarbonate but, at the prevailing pH, were largely bicarbonate. Figures for calcium inclucé magnesium as well. --- Page 10 --- 10. RECOMMENDATIONS Buffalo Lake can be made into a highly productive game fish lake, if the present overpopulation of gizzard shad, European carp and small crappie can be reduced. Once this is accomplished, the game fishes should keep the fry and young of the rough fish species under natural control for several years, at least. During this period fishing should be excellent. We therefore recommend a selective kill of gizzard shad followed by appropriate measures to reduce the carp and crappie populations. SUMMARY Buffalo Lake is located in the Texas Panhandle, approximately 35 miles southwest of Amarillo. It contains 18,300 acre-feet of water at spillway level, and is operated primarily for fishing and recreation, under control of the U. 8S. Forest Service. Accommodations for fishermen are excellent. At the present time, fish are abundant in the lake, but belong to relatively few species. Red shiners and fathead minnows make up the bulk of the forage fish population. Game fishes include black bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish and flathead catfish. Rough fishes include ‘gizzard shad, European carp, river carpsuckers and goldfishes, with a large number of carp-goldfish hybrids. The lake is greatly overpopulated with gizzard shad, European carp and undersized crappie. Control measures for these species are suggested.