TPWD 1959 F-6-R-6 #445: Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species Present in Resaca de las Palmas

--- Page 1 --- Report of Fisheries Investigations Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species Present in Resaca de las Palmas by Alvin G. Flury Project Leader Dingell-Johnson Project F-6-R-6, Job B-13 July 1, 1958 - December 31, 1958 H. D. Dodgen - Executive Secretary Texas Game and Fish Commission Austin, Texas Marion Toole Kenneth C. Jurgens & William H. Brown Coordinator Assistant Coordinators --- Page 3 --- dob Completion Report State of TEXAS Project No. F-6-R-6 Name; Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region 6-B. doe No. Be-13 Titie: Basic Survey and Inventory of Fish Species Present in Resaca de las BESS See ESS ent LE. Aes Palmas. Period Covered: Jul ~ December 31, 1958 nme nn nn an ce Abstract: % The Resaca de las Palmas is situated just north of the Brownsville city limits, apparently an old bed of the Rio Grande. Water suppiy is partly from local rains but mostly from a river pumping station which furnishes water for a4 cooling system. Chemical analysis showed the water to be suitable for warm water fish production but very turbid due to rough fish agitation. Very little submerged aquatic vegetation was found but some areas were densely covered with cattails and water hyacinths. Netting and seining e~llections showed the population dominated by rough fish, as expected, with only 29% . -@ fish (channel and blue catfish and white crappie). Recommendations are made for further study of the Resaca under the Resurvey Job (B-11) to determine if = renovation and restocking development might be feasible. Objectives: The investigation of the Resaca was conducted under three parts s i a. Water samples were taken from three stations and tested for the principle chemical factors. Physical factors and general ecological condition were observed and recorded. ormation on the history, uses and connections of the lake were gathered by conferences with the Cameron County Surveyor and County Tax Assessor; e International Boundary and Water Commission; City of Brownsville employees and Water District officials. c. Seining and experimental gill netting collections were made in four sections of the Resaca, Data recorded were the number of each species taken and, except for smali forage fish, the length, weight, sex and breeding condition of the fish. --- Page 4 --- Findings: Surface water samples were taken from three stations on July 15 and 16, 1958. Results are shown as follows: Station #1. Station #2 Station #3 County Club Charro Courts Media Lana Degrees Fahrenheit 89 86 88 Oxygen, ppm. 5.6 8.8 7.0 Carbon Dioxide, ppm. 7,0 8.9 9) Methyl Orange Alkal. 314 182 178 pH 8.4 8.4 8.5 Secchi disk, inches 6.5 11.0 5.0 oa Chemically, the water is suitable for warm water fish although turbidity practically eliminates the growth of submerged vegetation ani the successful spawning of largemouth bass. Since the Resaca is narrow and separated into rather short sections by road fills, it seems certain that the turbidity is due entirely to stirring of the bottom silts by rough fish rather than by wind action. The temperatures, oxygen, and carbon dioxide amounts recorded are, of course, reflections of the air temperatures at the time of year the samples were tazen. The alkalinity and po readings are norms for waters of this area. Hand line soundings taken scrogs two lines in the Country Clu maximum depth of th uree feet with an eversge of 4 f e densely covered wit ile, is probably she Three Lines ir r section showed 4 maximum 1 of 6.5 feet with an average of 4.2 feet. Sammisees a were not taken in the other sections but while setting nets, depths up to seven feet were found which is probably maximam for the resaca. Silt bottoms were the only type found. ALL shorelines were sharply cut, averaging about one foot ahove the normal weter level, Aimost all of the shoreline of the Resaca is privately owned, bat the City of Brownsville has flooding easements for the storage of water. Free public access is restricted to the public road crossings along the resaca Except for a few small. patches of Chara in one small, clear pool and scattered bunches of filamentous a algae, the turbidity of the water in the resaca prevented the growth of any submerged aquatic vegetation. Fermada grass covered most of the banks and frequent’y hung over into the water extending es much as thre se : e or four feet from the bank. Only sbout a third of the water in the Country Club section was open; the rest was covered with solid mats of cattails and some small mats of water hyacinths. --- Page 5 --- oome small shoreline bunches of cattails were found in the other sections but were apparently controlied by the sharp cut banks and deeper water. The cattails and water hyacinths in the Country Club section and small sections of water were so thick and extensive that it was impossible to net or seine in these areas. Mapping A map of the Resaca De Las Palmas was traced from U. S. Department of Agriculture aerial photos obtained from the Cameron County Tax Assessor's office. These photos were at a scale of eight inches to the mile and the resulting map, in several parts, was sO large and bulky that a reduced reproduction for inclusion in this report could not be made. A smali scale map yet large enough to be usable was not available from the City of Browmsville, Water Districts of the International Boundary and Water Com- mission. A site location map is included. The Resaca heads northwest of the City of Brownsville in Water District #6 and follows a winding, tortuous course eastward just north of the city limits and enters Water District #5, east of the City. In District #5 it is joined by canal with Resaca De La Guerra. The City of Brownsville constitutes Water District #6 and, for water storage, has dammed the Resaca near the northeast corner of the city limits. During heavy rains the Resaca carries runoff water from the area but the regular source of water is from City operated pumps on the Rio Grande. The water is first used in a cooling system and then flows by canal and pipes to enter the resaca in the Charro Courts section near U. S. Highway No. 77. ‘The water in the resaca is used by adjacent ‘and owners to a small extent but is chiefly used by the city as a standby domestic ater source, providing water for Brownsville when water is not available from the river. The resaca seemed to be an old, cut-off channel of the Rio Grande. The surrounding terrain was so flat and level that no creeks or gullies draining into the Resaca were found. The water in the sections studied was still, as in small, long pools, and no evicence of current was observed. The resaca is divided into the various sections by dirt filis, usually for road crossings. Most of these fills have one or more drain pipes through them to allow for drainage of the water. Fish Collections On July 15 and 16, 1958, the project leader and two field assistants set a total of five experimental gill nets in four sections of the Resaca. Station #1 was in the Country Cluk section, about 1/2 mile west of U. S. Highway Ne. 77 which was the upstream end of the resaca that was accessible. Station #2 was in the Charro Courts section, dust east of U. S. Highway No. 77. Station #3 was in the Media Luna section, just east of Charro Courts and adjacent to Media Lake, on oxbow lake connected to the resaca by underground pipes. Stations #4 and #5 were in the Palo Verde section, east of the Los Fresnos Road. A total of 112 fish of eight species was taken in the gili nets as shown in Table 1. Only three species, channel and blue catfish and white crappie, were game fisk and they comprised only 29% of the catch. Smallmouth buffalo, spotted gar and freshwater drum were the dominant species and, by predation and by stirring the bottom and muddying the water, prevent the development of sizable populations of bass, catfish, crappie and forage fish. Gizzard shad were very low in numbers compared to other waters * the area apparently due to heavy cropping by the gar and catfish. The remains of an alligator gar, a blue catfish and two spotted gar, apparently cleaned by fishermen, --- Page 6 --- were wind drifted into the net set in the Country Club section. Seining collections were difficult to make because of the sharp cut banks and the soft mud bottom. However, one collection with a 20' x 4’ x $" nylon seine was made in each of the first three sections and another in a small, clear pool next to U. 8. Highway No. 77. Fish taken were 3 gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), 135 threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense), 1 mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis), 3 Mollienisia (M. latipinna), 9 bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), 2 white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) and 3 Rio Grande perch (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum). Even though this list of small fish is probably incompiete, it is obvious from the small numbers of fish taken that there is a shortage of food, for the larger predacious species. Recommendations; At least one land owner on the resaca has voiced an interest in having a renovation job carried out to improve fishing in the resaca. At this time, there are several items that need more study before such a renovation could be recommended. Further study needs to be done on the aerial photos to determine if any other ox-bow lakes like Media Luna or branch resaca connect to the Resaca de las Palmas. The nature of connections (whether by underground drain pipe or drainage overflow} between the various sections, especially in the ueper and lower ends of the resaca need to be determined. The inlet from the Rio Grande pumps and the cooling system need to be further studied to determine if any live fish can survive through that system. Some means of applying rotenone effectively to the areas covered by extensive cattail beds must be found and the water hyacinths must be eliminated from two or three of the areas, Property rights and from whom permissiox, must be obtained to renovate the resaca must be determined. It is recommended that these items tbe further investigated under the Resurvey Job, Bell. It is recommended that any further stocking of game fish from hatcheries be com-= pletely curtailed. The large numbers of rough fish now in the resaca would cause any stocking to be useless, the stocked fish serving only to feed the gar. y . 7 Aivin @. Flury ___. Approved by Tr eet YN -tle- Prepared by a Project Leader Director Iniand Fisheries Division Date January 4, 1960 --- Page 7 --- Fish Taken in Five Experimental Gill Nets from Resaca de las Palmas. Lepisosteus productus (Spotted gar} Dorosoma cepedianum (Gizzard shad} actiobus bubalus (Smalimouth buffalo) Ictalurus punctatus ‘Channel catfish ictalurus furcatus “(Blue ca: catfish) Pomoxis annularis “TWhite crappie j plodinotus grunniens (Freshwater drum Mugii ¢ ce ephalus (Striped mullet} Total Percent S 7.96 NI ° Station Station Station #3 ine) wn 6 50 3 16.81 Station i 13 LO 39 34.52 Station Total #5 2 23 2 2 12 37 13 22 L y) 6 7 17 L 40 118 Percent 15.0 0.89 --- Page 9 --- LEGEND (e) ft ge il JZ i= SF GENERAL HIGHWAY MAP by Ve CAMERON COUNTY - eG Ci TEXAS PREPARED @Y THE TEXAS STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT IM COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS bata OBTAIMED FROM PLANNING SURVEY DIVISION SUE i) cle + the epee Zonwe «106; 1955 1950 CENSUS FloURES STATE HIGHWAYS REVISED TO JANUARY |, 1958 KEY To coumries.