TPWD 1954 F-2-R-1 #91: Inventory of Species Present in the Belton Reservoirs

-mwmmxa ‘1 l PERIQD Jone lj l953 throngh hey filj_im§% m PeoncT e00 Ems s;' set Bmt Segment Completion Report by Kenneth Co Jurgens TITLE Inventory of Species Present in the Belton Reservoirs OBdnCTlVES in determine the species present and their relative abundance as well as to determ mine the ecological factors influencing their distributiono METHODS Specimens were collected from the Leon River and Cowhouse Creek, its principal trihntsry within the Belton Reservoir Ares, mainly though the use of smell mesh seinese Several gill net collections, using nets with.experimentel mesh sizes in 25 fto sec_ tions ranging in size from one to three inches (sqo mesh) in % inch intervels, were also medeo In the case of seined specimens, all fish were preserved in 10% formalin solution end later counted and identified in the laboratoryo Gill net specimens were identified, counted, weighed; measured and sexed in the field, Only the stomachs of these specim mens were preserved for later stomach enslySiS'workg FINDINGS Since ester was not impounded in the Belton Reservoir prior to March 103 ltfit only limited work in the nature of e preimpoundeent study could he done during the l953w5h segment periodo To detey #76 fish specimens were collected from the various stetions within the reservoir eree by seining and only ll? specimens were collected in gill netso The rem 'ts of the seining collections are shown in Tehle I? while the results of the gill net collections are shown in Table II. A checklist of species one known to exist in the reservoir is given in Table Illa Water analysis made at several stations in the reservoir area during the pest seg— ment period showed the following ranges in water qualityfl Tests Made Prior to Impoundnent Tests Made After lepenndnent Oxygen 7.h _ 736 ppm 600 ppm Gerhon dioxide trace - lQO ppm 590 ppm Chlorides 200 w 8&0 ppm 1600 ppm ps 801 - 8.2 7&7 ppm Turbidity in the reservoir area prior to impoundment varied from none donhg times of little flow in the Leon River to very high during times of heavy rnnmoffc After im» poondmentg the ester in the lower end of the reservoir; where there is no current? wee 2. clear but stained brown by decaying vegetation, In the upper portion of the reservoir while there was current in the old river channel, turbidity was high due to the influx of silt laden runoff water from the Leon River watershed, At present, June 195%, approximately 13,1ht acre ft, of water have been impounded behind Islton Dan, This volume of water has a total surface area of 1,500 acresc new cording to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, the reservoir will be used mainly for flood control and water conservation purposes, The lake at conservation pool elevau tion, 569 feet above sea level, will cover 7,h00 surface acres and is estimated to extend "about 22 miles up the Leon River Valley and about eight miles up the Gowhonse Creek Valley" with an irregular shoreline of approximately 110 miles, The lake at that level will have an average depth of 28 fto Prior to the beginning of impoundnent, most of the timber includinga all trees, down timber, windfalls, logs, floatahle materials and fences were to be removed bem tween elevations 554 and 569, Only that timber below elevation 55A was to remain standing to provide a measure of cover for aquatic life during the inpoundnent periodfi This timber is almost entirely restricted to the banks of the old river channel, 0n the basis of the seining collections made prior to and after the beginning of water inpoundnents, the stocking of either channel catfish, flathead catfish or white crappie is not to be recommended since they are already present in relative abundance in the reservoir area. It is also quite obvious that no sunfish species should be stocked with the possible exception of the redear sunfish, Lepoeis aicrolophns, Largemouth bass have already been stocked in the new_lahe, These consisted of 75,000 bass fry from the U, 89 Fish and Wildlife Service and 95,000 fingerlings, two inches long, from the Texas Gene and Fish Commission. SUMMARY lo Water in the Bolton Reservoir was not impounded until the March 10th start“ ing date, 2; A total of h,676 specimens representing 30 species were collected by seining while only 117 specimens of 1h species were taken in gill nets, 3, A checklist of 32 species representing 9 families are now known to exist in the Bolton Reservoir, he ihssf Jone lQSt, the Bolton Reservoir contained a total of l,§00 surface acres and 13,1th acre ft, of water, do The Bolton Reservoir will be used mainly for flood control and water sooner» vation purposes. 69 Seining results indicate no need for stocking either channel catfish, flat“ head catfish or white crappie, 7a A total of 170,000 bass fry and fingerlings have already been stocked in the new’lakec i 0 O 0 O o C! a O o 0 O 8 “»t a:aianic:ejajoieieieaoscnsocntjte awesomeness oowoawoosa ooswwo ooomeeeso sesame newmowoooom soosmsoa Hoeeooawm sowooowwom woowoooow ewmwwos weoaowmm moosoHos mooodmsom oesopwm owesoewm sOHHHm message omwwowm moooecweeom secooww ampsowooa owoomwwsm someocwweoo WseMme oomowoswm mensweewm someone newcomem memodmowwo roemH flgfiop mowowom oowwooswoom a a H H H H a m m H H m m Hm Hm Hm HHo maH HHe eH Ham woe mam am we we am pm Hm H: Ho 4w aw w H m eH mo m m am He we we mm Hw e a m H m H w H: Hm Hw mm m Hm w e H H Hmo H m Hm w Ho 4 m m w Ho w H m m m w m H Ho m mw Hm we mm mm Hm em a m m mm m m ems mam moo was meH mac .1..- I...4 .r: ! ..l.|.l....| .: I II...Ia. .. ... {..l. ..u.. ..... . 1|. .t. l m m m 4 w : Hem e as 0 Ha \J'l tower—4 POW Hm m we m N H H a: w w eHm me wmo WH: Hm Ho Hw .. .I. l.|I|:I .1. .cwiemwmw;amojc, éewzaataS s m Hm OOOW¥ mwo mwo mowww Hm Ooowm % OOOHm m HF Ouflmo m m QOOOW H wmm women a moose ewoiww NW Hemmw NH Hamwm can homes m0 Hoomm wF mmOHO Hmo wtmOH F Oomom 4 OOQHW wt MQOHO mm OQPNO Hmm roHfifl m: lemw H 0.00m a m oonm m mw H.Hum m H4 OQOMF r wH O.mmm was mgomo Ham Ham momma HO OGMHw Hr O.mwm Hmm mgwdfi wflm Fem4m mmowmm mopeds wceoesowe a wmmowdm ow mawowom mowwcaswoom woe soc mosses Mono Hmmw awesome mow meoo to Table No0 2 Netting Collections EEEEEEEMW_W.H11_W_...._fl_._3_.. 7"“”5""”"“Tata17fi6T“”%"Ef”iata1”Tatai“" w Lg platostomus 15 1 2 9 27 23oo76 28#leoso Lo productus 1 3 '2 6 5 128 1o# 2021 no cepediannm 6 2 5 u 17 1&0529 1o#9 one Carpiodes carpio 2 2 l 3 7 l5 120820 5#l3oso i9 pnnotatns 6 1 1 8 60837 9%15oso A. natalis 1 1 o 855 8930 no moles 1 1 ofi855 lOoao ca coronarius 3 3 2°56h llozo Mt punctulatns 2 2 l0709 Boat ‘fl. saleoides l 1 05855 host La cyanellus 1 2 1 t 3ct18 1182¢ Etc macrochirns 8 h 3 15 120820 3# 3on0 iL. megalotis 1 1 8 1o 8 5t? 15033 E5P; annularis l A 2 7 5°982 3#-lhosg :Totai 25 20 9 1 37 25 117 990995 76%9 eel Bolton Reservoir: a Results of netting collections for the period Jane 1953 through any 195A” ofWTota" .WWfidhiwb 37071h 13022h- 139795 r: A Table No. 3 Bolton Reservoir _ ~ Checklist of Specieso Family Lepisosteidae lo Lepisostens platostomns m shortnose gar 20 Lepisosteus productns m Spotted gar Fanily_Glupeidae 3o Dorosona cepedianun m gissard shad Family Catostomidae he Carpiodes carpio d“ Mbaostoma congestnm Family Cyprinidae go Cyprinns carpio am river carpsucker gray redhorse carp 7° hotemigonns crysolencas - golden shiner 89 Notropis vennstns 9o Hotropis latrensis 100 hetropis volncellus llo _Notropis buchanani 12° Pimephales vigilen 130 Pinephales preaches lho Canpostoma anomalum Family Aneinridae l§¢ iotalnras pnnctatns 160 Ameiuras natalis 170 gmeinrns moles 18o Pilodictus clitoris 190 Schilbeodes gellis Famiiy_Cyprinodontidae 200 Enndulus natalis Family‘Eoecilidae 2li Gambusia affinis Family Centrarchidae m m blacktail or spottail shiner redhorse or red shiner mimic shiner ghost shiner parrot minnow fathead minnow stoneroller southern channel catfish yellow bullhead black ballhead flathead or yellow catfish tadpole madtoe blackstripe topminnow gambasia or potugut minnow 220 Micropterns punctnlatns m spotted black base 23; Micropterus trecnli m Etc Micropterns salmoides _ 2ft Loponis cyanellns 26o Lepomis macrochirus 270 Lepomis hanilis 280 Lepomis megalotis 290 Pomoxis‘annularis Family Percidae 30;. Hadropterus scierns 310 Porcine caprodes m M m .5 Texas spotted bass Largenonth bass Green sunfish Bluegill orangespotted sunfish longear sunfish white crappie or white perch dusky darter log perch 320 Etheostoma spectabile — orangethroated darter