Palo Pinto Creek and Tucker Lake Aquatic Survey; Stephens and Palo Pinto Counties, Texas, Within Palo Pinto Mountains State Park
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Palo Pinto Creek and Tucker Lake Aquatic Survey; Stephens and Palo Pinto Counties, Texas, within Palo Pinto Mountains State Park Jennifer M. Bronson Warren Water Quality Program Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas 78744 March 2019 Water Quality Technical Series WQTS‐2019‐01 Suggested citation for this report: Warren, J.B.M. 2019. Palo Pinto Creek and Tucker Lake Aquatic Survey; Stephens and Palo Pinto Counties, Texas, within Palo Pinto Mountains State Park. Water Quality Technical Series Publication WQTS‐2019‐01. PWD RP V3400‐2725 (5/19). Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, Texas. 2 Table of Contents Tables ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Figures ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................................................ 6 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Study Area ............................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Site Selection ..................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Palo Pinto Creek .................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Methods ............................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Habitat .......................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Physicochemical Parameters ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Fish Assemblage ............................................................................................................................................................ 14 Mussel Assemblage ....................................................................................................................................................... 15 Benthic Macroinvertebrates Assemblage ..................................................................................................................... 15 Results and Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 Habitat .......................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Physicochemical Parameters ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Fish Assemblage ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 Mussels ......................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Benthic Macroinvertebrates ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Tucker Lake ........................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Methods ............................................................................................................................................................................ 24 National Lakes Assessment ............................................................................................................................................... 24 Physicochemical Parameters ........................................................................................................................................ 24 Macrophyte Observation .............................................................................................................................................. 24 Physical Habitat Characterization ................................................................................................................................. 24 Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Sample Collection .................................................................................................... 25 Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling ........................................................................................................................... 25 Freshwater Mussels ...................................................................................................................................................... 26 Fish Assemblage ............................................................................................................................................................ 26 Results and Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................... 26 Physicochemical Parameters ........................................................................................................................................ 26 Macrophyte Observation .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Physical Habitat Characterization ................................................................................................................................. 27 Phytoplankton and Zooplankton .................................................................................................................................. 29 Benthic Macroinvertebrate........................................................................................................................................... 30 Freshwater Mussels ...................................................................................................................................................... 32 Fish Assemblage ............................................................................................................................................................ 32 Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................... 33 References ............................................................................................................................................................................ 34 Appendix A. Data Tables ....................................................................................................................................................... 36 3 Tables Table 1. Station descriptions and locations at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park. ................................................................ 12 Table 2. Tucker Lake physical habitat locations. ................................................................................................................... 12 Table 3. Habitat quality index for station 21730 and 21731, Stephens Palo Pinto counties, July 28, 2015. Scoring criteria; exceptional – 26‐31, high 20‐25, intermediate 14‐19, and limited <14. ................................................................. 16 Table 4. Instantaneous physicochemical data for both stations on Palo Pinto Creek, July 27, 2015. .................................. 19 Table 5. Diel (24‐hr) physicochemical data for both stations on Palo Pinto Creek. The average, minimum and maximum were calculated from the 24‐hr data collected July27‐28, 2015. ............................................................................ 20 Table 6. Fish species collected from North Palo Pinto Creek in Stephens and Palo Pinto Counties (stations 21730 and 21731, respectively), July 28, 2015. ......................................................................................................................... 20 Table 7. Freshwater mussel survey results from Palo Pinto Creek, Palo Pinto and Stephens Counties, July 28, 2015. (Mesohab = mesohabitat, Sub1, 2 &3 = Substrate type) ......................................................................................... 22 Table 8. Benthic macroinvertebrates