TPWD 1958 F-6-R-5 #423: Resurvey of Waters of Region 8-3: Job Completion Report, Dingell-Johnson Project F-6-R-5, Job B-11

Report of Fisheries Investigations Resurvey of waters of Region 8-3 by dAlvin Flury‘ Project Leader Dingell-Johnson Project F-6-R-5, Job B-ll July 1, 1957 - June 30, 1958 H. D. Dodgen - Executive Secretary Texas Game and Fish Commission Austin, Texas Marion Toole Kanneth C. Jurgens & William H. Brown Coordinator Assistant Coordinators Job Completion Report State of TEXAS Project No. F-6-R-2 _ Name: Fisheries Investi ation and Surve of Waters of Region E-B. Job No. 3-11 Title: Resurvey of Waters of Region 8-B. Period Covered: July 12 1221 through June 302 12§8. Abstract: 1. A new dam at Lake Corpus Christi began to catch water during the end of this segment, and the water has cleared to some extent. Most of the water hyacinths have been removed. There seems to be smaller buffalo and more carp than previously. On May 26, 1958, 100,000 largemouth bass fry were stocked. 2. During this segment Casa Blanca Lake came up approximately ll feet and went over the spillway for the first time. Thermal stratification occurred in deeper waters. '1rpsucker remained the most numerous species netted. Threadfin shad seem to have in- reased while silversides and bluegills have decreased. Black bass apparently spawned in the spring. 3. The water level on Falcon Lake remained virtually unchanged during this segment. In spite of a good increase in numbers of white bass, from practically nothing to over 15 percent, the general trend of increased numbers of rough fish continued. Procedure: Three bodies of water were resurveyed during this segment: Lake Corpus Christi, Casa Blanca Lake, and Falcon Lake. Netting and seining collections and water analyses were made and general physical and ecological changes were noted. No seining collections were made on Falcon Lake, and water analyses were made only on Casa Blanca Lake. As nearly as possible the netting, seining, and water analyses stations were the same as those used during the original surveys, being changed only as much as necessary to con” form to higher water levels. Turbidity readings by Secchi disk were also made on Lake Corpus Christi at special stations set up for that purpose. 29%;” L1La*rn/.::::;:;T{Z;,, Director Inland Fisheries Division Prepared by Alvin Flur Approved by ProjeCt Leader te April 132 1959 Lake Corpus Christi Physical Description: At a spillway level of 7% feet above sea level the lake has an area of about 5&50 acres and an estimated volume of 30,000 acre feet when the original survey was made (1953-55). During this segment the Lower Nueces Water Supply District completed a new dam about %-mile downstream from the old.dam which will raise the water level to 88 feet and producezalake with an area of about l6,730 acres and a volume of about 185,920 acre feet. The dam is designed so that adjustments and additions to the gates can be made to raise the water level to 9k feet and later to 10h feet. There was no significant change on the lake bottom or shoreline between the original survey and the completion of the new dam. The new dam was dedicated on April 26, 1958, and began impounding water shortly afterward, inundating extensive brush covered flats and plowed fields. By the end of the segment the water had reached a level of 82.26 feet and was still rising rapidly. During the last of February and the first of March a flood occurred on the lake with afcrest of 83.89 feet on March first. Although five concrete base slabs were not in place, the new dam restricted the flow and caused this unusually high crest. See Table I for water levels. ' The water has definitely cleared since the new dam was closed. However, no exact comparison is possible since all measurements made during the original survey were by the Jackson Turbidimeter, while the resurvey data were collected by means of Secchi disk readings. The limits of the Jackson Turbidimeter are 25 ppm., and few of the original survey readings were this clear. All resurvey readings were less than 25 ppm., so the Secchi disk was used instead. Table II shows the turbidity readings and Map I shows the locations of the stations. Aquatic Vegetation: Submerged vegetation is still practically nonexistent, probably due to the high turbidity of the water of the old lake. Emergent rooted vegetation (Scirpus) has grown well, producing several large stands. (See Projects F—6wR-2 and 3, Job Ew2.) These will probably be killed by the high water when the lake fills. The most notice- able change on the lake since the original survey is the removal of over 600 of the estimated 700 acres of water hyacinths then present on the lake. Part of this was re- moved by work under Project F-l-D and part by the high water in February and March. Fish Population: The population of fish as shown by gill netting collections has apparently not changed appreciably when compared_to the catch during the same months of the original Survey.' An increase in the number of carp present seems evident from reports of commer- cial fishermen and from our own netting samples. Other apparent changes in numbers of fish are prdbably due to sampling error inherent in the netting procedure. The small- mouth buffalo is the only species which showed any significant change in average length, ,eight, or "K" factor. The average weight of the buffalo was about % of that found during the original survey, falling from slightly over 2% pounds to slightly over 1% pounds. Tables III, IV, and V show the netting results of twelve nets set in the resurvey, and Table VI shows the lengths, weights, and ”K" factors of the fish taken. Commercial fish- ing records show h,9SI pounds of buffalo, 160 pounds of carp, and 900 pounds of gar removed during this segment. The seining collections apparently indicate a decrease in numbers of small fish, but no significant change in the relative numbers of the species. Table VII shows the seining collection results. Stocking Records: 0n.May 26, 1958, 100,000 largemouth bass fry from the Tyler Hatchery were released into the upper part of the lake by Game Warden Frank Henze. 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