TPWD 1967 F-12-R-13 #1142: Job Completion Report: Pollution Studies, Sabine River, Texas, 1967

JOB COMPLETIDN REPGRT State cf Tessa Prcject Ne. F~12~R—13 ___ Name: Regicn ans Fisheries Studies Jcb He. Za Title: Pallutisn Studies Pericd Severed: January 1, 196? - December 31, 196? Objectives: 1. Tc determine the extent cf areas in which pclluticn-caused fish kills occur. 2. Tc determine the nature and scurce cf pellutants causing fish kills. 3. Tc repcrt instances cf pclluticn tn the Tessa Water Palluticn Central Beard when abatement is needed tc pratect fish papulatiens and aquatic habitat. 4. Tc determine the nature and lccaticn cf industries which will in the future begin discharging wastes intc public waters. 5. Tc determine certain chemical and biclcgical features cf public waters which will receive wastes frcm industries net yet in cperaticn. 6. Tc campile and analyse chemical and biclcgicsl data far future use in assessing the detrimental effects cf wastes frcm.specific scurces. Sabine River Procedures: Sampling staticns were established at 12 stations lccated shave and belcw the paint where the flwen Illincis paper mill effluent enters the Sabine River (Figure 1). Fish ccllecticns were made using gill nets, hccp nets, minncw traps, rctencne, wire traps, and seines. The gill nets were made 150 feet lung and 8 feet deep, hubbled ta 6 feet. The bar mesh sizes increased in 0.5 inch intervals every 25 feet beginning with 1 inch and ending with 3.5 inches. In additicn tc gill nets, baited hccp nets with cne inch bar mesh were used, Fish were alsc ccllected using minncw traps and rctenene. The type cf wire trap used was made by rclling l a 2-inch mesh welded steel fabric into a cylinder 5 feet lung and 1.5 feet in diameter, fine and cf this wire cylinder was apes and had a double threat made cf sne inch FIGURE 1 SABINE RIVER chicken wire. The wire traps were baited. Various seines were also used to collect fish where seining was possible. Gill nets and wire traps were used in August and October. Hoop nets were used only in August. Rotenone, seines, and minnow traps were used only in October. Bottom samples were taken using a Petersen dredge. Samples were taken every 20 feet along transects from bank to bank at stations 2 through T. The samples were always taken starting from the east bank. The bottom material was washed through screens with mesh sixes of 8 x S and 15 x 18 per square inch. The material which accumulated in the 15 x 18 mesh screen at each station was put in a jar with a preservative.and broughtback to the laboratory for close examination. Mhltiplate samplers made from.lf8—inch masonite were used as an artificial substrate to collect invertebrates. These samplers were made with seven 3- inch square masonite plates separated by six 1—inch square masonite plates. These sampler can easily be taken apart for removal of invertebrates. Samplers were placed in the river during the first of September and removed during the first part of October. About 32 per cent of the samplers recovered were placed less than 5 feet below the surface of the river. The deepest a saxmler was placed was 20 feet. 'Most of the samplers hung free in the water; a few rested on the bottom. Dne hundred and seven samplers were set at sites 1 through 12 at different depths. vascular aquatic plants were noted during the survey. The pH, total alkalinity, turbidity, chlorides, dissolved oxygen, sulfates, and total hardness were measured at all stations. All measurements were made during the summer except the chlorides which were measured in Dctober. At stations 2 through T samples of water were taken at the surface and near the bottom for all measurements except sulfates and total hardness which were measured only at the surface. At stations 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 only surface water was tested. Chemical tests and turbidity were measured using the Hach Engineer's Lab. Findings and Discussion: The Sabine River rises in Northeast Texas and represents the Texas— Louisians border along much of its 360-mile length. The average discharge of this river over the period from 1924 to 1963 was 8,683 cubic feet per second measured at Ruliff, Texas, not far from the survey area. The part of the Sabine River studied in this report is located in Grange County and stretches about ll.d miles north of the Highway 90 bridge (Figure 1). Much of the shore is wooded, and agriculture, much of which is irrigated from the river, is also present. The reason for the interest in this section of river is the establish— ment of the Swan Illinois Glass Company paper mill near Pruitt Bluff. It has often been difficult to evaluate situations where there has been a suspected change in a body of water because no information was available before the change occurred. Since there is a chance that the activity of the Gwen Illinois paper mill may result in a significant change in the river, it was decided to gather data concerning river conditions before the mill began operation. With this information in hand, it should be much easier to evaluate the effect of the paper mill on the river. The common and scientific names of fish collected using all methods except seines and minnow traps are listed in Table l. The fishes collected using hoop nets, gill nets, and wire traps at the different stations are given in Table 2. The data from.all three methods is combined; however, the wire traps and hoop nets were not used as extensively as gill nets and were not as effective. The data given in Table 2 would be little changed if only the gill net data were used. Therefore, the standard units of effort for gill nets gives a good estimate of the ease with which fish were taken. Dne standard unit of effort for a gill net is defined as one gill net {of the kind described earlier) set overnight. The data show that one gill net set overnight yielded an average of only about six fish. This low yield was disappointing. Since one of the signs of pollution is a decrease in the average size of fish, such a small number of fish will make difficult a comparison with fish taken at a future date. The data also show that the number of species collected from.stations 2 through d was the same as for stations 5 through ?. The paper mill effluent will enter the river between stations 4 and 5. Since pollution often causes a decrease in the number of species that can inhabit a body of water, a significant decrease in the number of species found below the point of discharge compared to the number of species occurring above the point of discharge will indicate pollution, if it occurs. Due rotenone sample yielded no information of interest except that a bowfin was collected. This was the only specimen of this species collected. Seining samples and minnow trap samples have not yet been processed due to a lack of personnel. The data from the multiplate samplers (Table 3) show that some of the organisms such as those in the genus fiyfiilopais became much more numerous as mouth of the river was approached. This was expected since the survey area is affected by the intrusion of salt water. Data collected by the multiplate samplers will be used to evaluate the effect of the paper mill effluent on the invertebrate population. Since many fish feed to a large extent upon invertebrates, injury of the invertebrate population in the river would undoubtedly reduce the productivity of the river for fish. In contrast to the number of organisms collected with the multirplate samplers, the bottom samples indicated that the sandy river bottom was relatively sterile. A.total of eleven individual organisms were found in Table 1 Checklist of Fishes'fientioned in This Report Common Name Spotted gar Longnoae gar Alligator gar Bowfin Lsdyfish Gissard shad Carp River carpsucker Smallmouth buffalo Bigmouth buffalo Channel catfish Blue catfish Yellow bullhead Striped mullet Yellow bass Bluegill Warmouth White crappie Black crappie Freshwater drum Scientific Name Lepisosteus oculatus Lepisosteus ossaus Lepisosteus spatula Amia calva Elops saurus Dorosoma cepedianum Cyprinus carpio Carpiodes carpio Ictiobus bubalus Ictiobus cyprinellus Ictalurus punctatus Ictalurus furcatus Ictalurus natalis Mugil cephalus Roccus chrysops Lepomis macrochirus Chaenobryttus gulosus Pomoxis annularis Pomoxis nigromaculatus Aplodinotus grunniens Table 2 Number of Fish Collected with Nets and Traps Between Station 2 3 3-4 4 5 6 ? Total Species Spotted gar 7 5 ll 11 18 T 59 Longnoae gar l 4 3 4 l 13 Alligator gar 2 2 4 Lsdyfish 2 l 2 l 12 Giaxard shad l 3 1 3 3 ll Carp l 4 5 River carpsucker 4 l l 2 3 15 Smallmouth buffalo l 1 2 4 8 Eigmouth buffalo 3 3 Channel catfish 2 1 3 Blue catfish 3 4 3 3 13 Yellow bullhead l 1 Striped mullet l 1 2 4 Yellow bass 1 l 2 Bluegill 2 2 Warmouth 1 1 2 White crappie 2 4 4 l 2 13 Black crappie 2 F 3 1 13 Freshwater drum 1 3 3 5 1 13 Flounder—like fishv l l 2 Total 1? 26 ZS 42 3? 49 l 198 Standard units of effort for gill nets 6 ll 1 4 d 4 l 33 ....____.—__._.__—___ ___-hqu—————n—nu— __r-I—-_—.|.—-J—.— *These flat fish were not positively identified. _?_ Table 3 Number of Drganisms Collected at Each Site Using Multiplate Samplers Sites 1 2 3 4 5 6 T 8 9 10 ll 12 Genera Placobdella 2 Nereis 1 l Sphaeromaif 1 Corophium 52 4D 38 4D 19 ll 20 186 159 198 146 Gammarus 32 l? 14 6 8 14 128 91 124 Ameletus 2 Heptagenia Amphiagrion Chromagrion Libellula Neurocordulia 2 2 Dineutus l Galerucellav 13 8 Haliplus 2 l Lutrochus 1 Chironomus 36 23 28 32 51 25 3? 43 1? ?2 24 10 Clinotanypus l 25 Musculiun 53 2? 10 2 8 Mytilopsis 3 10 a. 20 25 368 683 2,426 2,6?5 2,350 556 Neopanope 18 3 42 Unidentified l 1 2 2 M LAJLD |—*I."~-.'=I£Tl"'I Total 164 108 132 112 130 ?2 416 6?2 2,596 3,042 2,668 8?9 Multiplate samplers re- covered 10 18 9 10 10 10 18 6 ? 6 6 8 vThis identification is tentative and needs verification. the bottom samples. Vascular aquatic plants were rare. The species that were identified were yellow water lily, Nuphar advena A. T.; swamp lily, Crinum americanum; coastal wapato, Sagittaria falcata Pursh.; alligator weed, Alternanthera philoxeroides, (Mart.) Stand1.; and southern wildrice, Zisaniopsis miliacea (Michx.) Doell and Aschers. The chemical measurements were similar for all stations except for the chlorides, sulfates, and total hardness. The pH readings usually were between 6.5 and ?.0, total alkalinity was usually between 25 and 35, the turbidity was usually less than 30 Jackson Turbidity Units, the dissolved oxygen ranged 5 to 9 ppm except for one value of 12 ppm. The sulfate values increased slightly at stations 18, 11, and 12. Readings at these three stations were over 38 ppm. The highest reading at any of the other stations was 18 ppmx The total hardness increased more noticeably. It was 28 to 30 ppm at every station except stations 10, 11, and 12 where total hardness was 208 ppmi Almost all of the above readings were made when the tide was out. The chloride values from.the surface samples progressively increased from 132 ppm at station 2 to 1,120 ppm at station ?. Chlorides were present in much larger amounts in the samples of water taken near the bottomi A sample taken at station 2, near the upper end of the survey area, had over 1,508 ppm chlorides. The 0wen Illinois paper mill is now in operation. The activities described above will be repeated and the data will then receive mare exhaustive treatment than it has here. 'I. H...“ Prepared by: Alan G. Wenger _ Approved by: ___ Project Leader Coordinator Date: March 18, 1968 __ Lonnie J. Peters Inland Fisheries Supervisor