) • GAME FISH STREAMS AND RECORDS OF FISHES FROM THE POTOMAC-SHENANDOAH RIVER SYSTEM Of VIRGINIA Robert D. Ross Associate Professor of Biology Technical Bulletin 140 April 1959 Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station Virginia Polytechnic Institute Blacksburg, Virginia ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer is grateful to Eugene S. Surber, Robert G. Martin and Jack M. Hoffman who directed the survey and gave their help and encouragement. A great deal of credit for the success of the Survey is due to all game wardens who rendered invaluable assistance. Special thanks are due to many sportsmen and assistant game wardens who helped the field crew. Personnel of the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, who helped in the work from time to time were William Fadley, William Hawley, Max Carpenter and Dixie L. Shumate. The Virginia Academy of Science gener- ously donated funds for the purchase of alcohol in which the fish collection was preserved. GAME FISH STREAMS AND RECORDS OF FISHES FROM THE SHENANDOAH-POTOMAC RIVER SYSTEMS OF VIRGINIA Robert D. Ross Associate Professor of Biology Virginia Polytechnic Institute INTRODUCTION From June 15 to September 15, 1956, the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, Division of Fisheries, Richmond, Virginia, undertook a survey of a major part of the Shenandoah-Potomac River watershed in Virginia. This work was done as Federal Aid Project No. F-8-R-3, in cooperation with Vir- ginia Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, under the direction of Robert G. Martin, Dingell-Johnson Coordinator, and Jack M. Hoffman, Leader. Robert D. Ross, Crew Leader, and David W. Robinson and Charles H. Hanson worked in the field. The work covered the Shenandoah River and direct trib- utaries of the Potomac River in Virginia above Goose Creek, Loudoun County. The purpose of the survey was to collect physical, chemical and hydrographic data on the important game fish streams, and to secure collections of fishes. This report summarizes the results of this survey. Game Wardens in all counties involved submitted lists of the trout and bass streams in their Counties, together with other streams not presently managed for game fishes, which they felt were worth investigation. The field crew worked primarily in these streams. Collections were made with a Homelite 230 volt AC 2500-watt generator, and an alternate polarity electroseine. Elec- troseines of three lengths were available : 16, 30 and 100 feet in length. Scale samples of game fishes were obtained and preserved by the Division of Fisheries at Richmond, Virginia. Game fishes were returned to the streams alive. Non- game species were killed in 10% formalin, and stored in 80% alcohol in the collection of fishes at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. THE NORTH FORK OF SHENANDOAH RIVER The North and South Forks of Shenandoah River join at Front Royal to form the Shenandoah River. The North Fork has a basin of 1036 square miles above its mouth and a length of about 100 river miles (Parker, et al., 1907). Several montane streams unite above Bergton, Rockingham County to form the North Fork and these provide most of the flow in the upper part of the river. Between Bergton and Broadway, several temporary streams are trib- utary to the North Fork and add little to the flow of the river. These are Pewee Creek, Lairs Run, Root Run, Little Dry' River, Shoemaker Creek and Runion Creek. In spite of the lack of adequate tributaries in this section, the North Fork of Shenandoah River maintains a good flow, is cool, well shaded, and has several excellent pools. The river flows over a well developed flood plain (3) below Bergton and is easily accessible almost anywhere. The small-mouth bass thrives here and there are trout in the upper part of the river. This section of the river offers many possibilities for development as a sports-recrea- tion area. It was the best bass stream observed on the survey. Linville Creek enters the North Fork of Shenandoah River at Broadway. It is warm and turbid. Eutrophication from civic wastes at Edom enrich the stream so that it is unusually productive. It probably serves as an im- portant bass feeder stream for the North Fork. Discharge at the mouth of Linville Creek was estimated to be from 20-30 c.f.s. (cubic feet per second), July 9, 1956. Mill and Smith Creeks join the North Fork of Shenandoah River near Mt. Jackson, Shenandoah County. Mill Creek was estimated at between 20-30 c.f.s. at its mouth, whereas Smith Creek flowed from 40-50 c.f.s. at Mt. Jackson, July 9, 1956. Smith Creek is warm and turbid. Big Stony Creek flows into the North Fork of Shenandoah River at Edin- burgh, Shenandoah County. Two dams impound the waters of Big Stony Creek above Edinburgh. In the depths of these, several trouts were observed. Some excellent pools may be found on Big Stony Creek between Edinburgh and Columbia Furnace ; few above that point. Large trout were located in the upper pools. The upper section of Big Stony Creek runs over sandstones and shales and seems to be more or less impoverished judging from rough estimates of the bottom fauna. For this reason and because of lack of good pools it is less suitable as a game fish stream. Several minor tributaries join the North Fork between Edinburgh and Strasburg, none of which was investigated. Cedar Creek has its mouth in the North Fork of Shenandoah River at Strasburg, Shenandoah County. The lower section of this creek is warm and slightly turbid. Several excellent pools occur in its lower portion, but most of these are difficult of access because Cedar Creek is deeply entrenched below Marlboro, Frederick County. Flow is sluggish. The upper portion of Cedar Creek is developed upon a narrow flood plain and flow is rapid. Some excellent pools may be found in this section. For most of its length Cedar Creek is well shaded. Passage Creek is the first major tributary of the North Fork above its confluence with the South Fork of Shenandoah River. The upper part of Passage Creek is well shaded, and cool. Few really excellent pools occur here but the gradient is sufficient to provide numerous small plunge basins. This section of the Creek is managed as a trout stream. The middle part of Passage Creek meanders across a flood plain, with a gentle gradient. This portion of the stream passes through farms, where most of the cover bordering the stream has been removed. Passage Creek warms as a result, so that water temperatures tend to approximate air temperatures. At the lower end of its valley, Passage Creek runs through its water gap in Massanutten Mountain and once more acquires a steep gradient. Many fine pools are found in the gap. Flow records for the North Fork of Shenandoah River and its tributaries are listed in Table 1. Flood crests rising in the headwaters of the North Fork may require as much as 3 days to reach Strasburg (flood of August 19-21, 1950). A more general precipitation, however, may develop crests which pass this distance in 24 hours (flood of October 15-16, 1943; September 18-19, 1945). (4) Table 1.—Flow records for the North Fork of Shenandoah River and its tribu- taries. Discharge figures in cubic second feet. Data compiled from Holmes, (1957) North Fork of Shenandoah River Cootes Store, east of Brock's Gan, Rockingham County Average discharge, 1925-1955 189 Maximum, Oct. 15, 1942 50,000 Minimum, Oct. 1, 1929 0.4 Mount Jackson, Shenandoah County Average discharge, 1943-1955 388 Maximum, Aug. 18, 1955 30,000 Minimum, Sept. 26-30, 1954 17 Strasburg, Shenandoah County Average discharge, 1925-1955 586 Maximum, Oct. 16, 1942 100,000 Minimum, Sept. 26 and Oct. 1, 1930 41 Big Stony Creek Columbia Furnace, Shenandoah County Average discharge, 1947-1955 74.7 Maximum, Aug. 18, 1955 4,990 Minimum, Sept-. 3-15 and Oct. 13, 1954 5.1 Cedar Creek Winchester, Frederick County Average discharge, 1937-1955 89.9 Maximum, Oct. 15, 1942 22,000 Minimum, Aug. 24-31, Sept. 6, 1938 5 Passage Creek Buckton, Warren County Average discharge, 1932-1955 70.5 Maximum, Oct. 15, 1942 21,000 Minimum, Aug. 5, 1932 0.1 All parts of the North Fork of Shenandoah River basin east of Big North Mountain are developed upon limestone formations. These formations are porous and this, together with the present drought cycle caused most streams of the North Fork and other parts of the Shenandoah River' system to flow at low stage in 1956. Low stages, however, must be considered to represent normal flow under present conditions. Remarkably few springs occur within the North Fork drainage basin. At Strasburg there are two major springs which flow from 100-450 gallons per minute and a third with a flow of more than 450 g.p.m. Another spring of the latter type is at Lacey Spring on Smith Creek in Rockingham County. None of these springs is thermal (Collins, et al., 1930). A curious spring of the "tidal" type, which alternately flows and stops at irregular intervals, occurs on upper Linville Creek, 5% miles southwest of Broadway (Cady, 1938; U.S.G.S. Broadway 15' quadrangle, 1950 ed., scale 1/62500). Because of the declining water resources and extreme fluctuations in flow, and also in order to develop power at the Big Falls of the Potomac River, efforts have been made from time to time since 1921 to build a number of reservoirs in Virginia. One of the proposed impoundments was to be located at Brock's Gap, west of Broadway (Tyler, 1921). Elsewhere, several low dams have been built across the North Fork below Broadway which impound the water so that lacustrine conditions develop at more than one point along the river.