TPWD 1958 F-3-R-5 #360: Report of Fisheries Investigations: Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species in Murvaul Bayou Reservoir

--- Page 1 --- ILE Report of Fisheries Investigations Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species in Murvaul Bayou Reservoir by John N. Dorchester Assistant Project Leader Dingell-Johnson Project F=-3-R-5, Job B-13 . December 1, 1957 = May 3, 1958 H. D. Dodgen ~ Executive Secretary Texas Game and Fish Commission Austin, Texas Marion Toole William H. Brown Coordinator Asst. Coordinator --- Page 3 --- SEGMENT COMPLETION REPORT Investigations Project State of TEXAS Project No. F3R5 Name: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region 5-B. Job No. Be13 Titles Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species in Murvaul Bayou Reservoir. Period Covered: December 1, 1957 to May 31, 1958 a FIL GO MOY St, 1790 ABSTRACT: This is only a brief report covering the activities and findings on the first half of a year-long survey on Lake Murvaul, a new lake near Carthage, Panola County. Recommendations are made to prepare a full report at the end of the year covering the entire years work. OBJECTIVES : To gather fundamental data on this newly impounded reservoir in regard to its physical, chemical and biological aspects. To determine the growth rates and food of game species stocked. To observe the influx of other fish species and to record chemical changes, if any, of the water. This is a follow up job to Job l6éa-8, Project F1l4D1, whereby the fish population in Murvaul Bayou were eradicated as near- ly as possible by the use of Pro-Noxfish. PROCEDURE 3 This job is set up to run for one year from the initial work in December 1957. This starting date was set at thet time to coincide as nearly as possible to the date of impoundment. For this reason only a brief report is presented at this time with the complete, fully detailed report to follow at the end of the job year. Lake Murvaul is a new 3,890 surface acre (at spillway crest) lake located near Carthage in Panola County. A. Netting Six net sets are made at randomly selected locations either on or close to the 20th of each month. A total of eight experimental type gill nets are used. A tabulation is made of the numbers of rough fish caught. All game fish and bull- head catfish are saved, weighed, measured and their stomach and sex are spot checked. --- Page 4 --- Condition factors are determined on these fish. B. Seining At least ten drags with a 26 foot bag seine are made each month at random locations. The catches are preserved in 10% formalin and brought back to the laboratory for identification and counting. A record is kept of the numbers of each species. C. Water Samples There are three water sample stations set up on the lake - one near the dam, one at mid lake and one in the upper end. Water samples are taken at five foot intervals from surface to bottom at each station. Dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity and chlorides are determined. This data is collected each month. D. Temperature and Turbidity Temperatures of the water is taken at the same locations as the water samples. A reversing thermometer is used. Turbidity is determined with a seechi disk. FINDINGS : A. Netting The first month only 47 fish were caught; however, the following month Ly fish were caught of which approximately 90% were rough fish species (70%. bullheads). A high catch of bullheads was encountered for the next three months. There were numerous warmouth and bluegills caught also. All fish caught were exceptionally fat and chunky. During February contract commercial fishermen removed 1,449 bullhead catfish weighing 1,270 pounds. They also removed over 1,700 small bluegills as a overpopulation control measure. B. Seining Hardly any fish were caught by seining until March when several minnows and Gambusia were caught. In April a few more species showed up and in May fifteen species were collected including a good bass spawn and a large school of shad. There appear to be good populations of bass, shad, various minnows, bullhead catfish and sunfish in the lake. C. Water Quality The water of this lake appears to be of a good quality for fish life. The chlorides are low (14-78 ppm), the alkalinity is comparatively high for East Texas (26-115 ppm), the pH is slightly acid (6.2-7.1) and the dissolved oxygen ranged from 0.0 to 10.0 ppm. It was noted that there was an oxygen deficiency below the 10 foot level in May. --- Page 5 --- STOCKING RECORD: During the first six months there was a total of 185,000 largemouth bass fry placed in the lake by the Tyler Hatchery as follows: May 5, 1958 May 8, 1958 May 22, 1958 75 , 000 100, 000 10,000 Total 185 , 000 Additional stockings of channel catfish, crappie and possibly redear sunfish will be made as the fish become available. TENTATIVE CHECKLIST OF SPECIES: Below is a list of species found in the lake as of May 1958: die 2. 3. 28. 29. 30. Amia calva Dorosoma cepedianum Esox americanus Ictiobus bubalus Carpiodes carpio Moxostoma poecilurum Minytrema melanops Erimyzon sucetta Notemigonus crysoleucas Notropis venustus N. lutrensis N. atrocaudalis N. maculatus Pimephales vigilax Ictalurus melas i. natalis Fundulus notatus Gambusia affinis Aphredoderus sayanus Micropterus salmoides Chaenobryttus gulosus Lepomis cyanellus L. punctatus L. macrochirus L. auritus Pomoxis annularis P. nigromaculatus Centrarchus maculatus Ammocrypta vivax Etheostoma gracile --- Page 6 --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: From the data collected to date the following can be concluded: 1. The water quality is good for fish life. 2, There is a large population of rough fish present but the game fish population is improving. 3. <All fish are in excellent condition due to a large fauna of natural foods. It is therefore recommended that: 1. This survey be continued until the end of the originally planned time of one year. 2. That a fully detailed report be submitted at the end of the year-long segment covering the entire year. \ ——_ Prepared by: John N. Dorchester Approved by: ijn O pate Assistant Project Leader Chief Aquatic Biologist Date: July 7, 1958