DTIC ADA442280: Stream and Aquifer Biology of South-Central Texas - A Literature Review, 1973-97

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A contribution of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program
Stream and Aquifer Biology of South-Central
Texas—A Literature Review, 1973–97
Open-File Report 99–243
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
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Stream and Aquifer Biology of South-Central Texas - A Literature
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Review, 1973-97
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U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Stream and Aquifer Biology of South-Central
Texas—A Literature Review, 1973–97
By Robert T. Ourso and C. Evan Hornig
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Open-File Report 99–243
A contribution of the National-Water Quality Assessment Program
Austin, Texas
2000
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bruce Babbitt, Secretary
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Charles G. Groat, Director
Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for
descriptive purposes only and does not imply
endorsement by the U.S. Government.
For additional information write to
District Chief
U.S. Geological Survey
8027 Exchange Dr.
Austin, TX 78754–4733
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E-mail: [email protected]
ii
CONTENTS
Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1
UsesofAquaticBiologicalData .............................................................................................................................. 2
PurposeandScope .................................................................................................................................................... 2
SourcesofBiologicalData ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................................... 4
South-CentralTexasStudyUnit........................................................................................................................................... 4
Surface-WaterBasinsandEcoregions ...................................................................................................................... 4
GuadalupeRiverBasin ................................................................................................................................. 4
SanAntonioRiverBasin............................................................................................................................... 5
NuecesRiverBasin ....................................................................................................................................... 5
MinorCoastalBasins .................................................................................................................................... 5
EdwardsPlateauEcoregion........................................................................................................................... 5
TexasBlacklandPrairiesEcoregion.............................................................................................................. 6
EastCentralTexasPlainsEcoregion............................................................................................................. 6
WesternGulfCoastalPlainEcoregion .......................................................................................................... 6
SouthernTexasPlainsEcoregion .................................................................................................................. 6
EdwardsAquiferHabitats ........................................................................................................................................ 6
StreamBiology..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
VertebrateCommunities ........................................................................................................................................... 7
InvertebrateCommunities......................................................................................................................................... 8
PlantCommunities ................................................................................................................................................... 9
SpeciesofConcern ................................................................................................................................................... 10
IntroducedSpecies ........................................................................................................................................ 12
EndangeredandThreatenedSpecies............................................................................................................. 12
AquiferBiology ................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Summary .............................................................................................................................................................................. 13
SelectedReferences ............................................................................................................................................................. 14
FIGURES
1–5. Mapsshowing:
1. Surface-waterbasins,ecoregions,andmajoraquifersoftheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,Texas ....... 3
2. LocationsofpreviousfishstudiesintheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,Texas ...................................... 8
3. LocationsofpreviousfishstudiesinBexar,Comal,andHaysCounties,Texas ....................................... 9
4. LocationsofpreviousaquaticinvertebratestudiesintheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,Texas ............ 10
5. LocationsofpreviousaquaticinvertebratestudiesinBexar,Comal,andHaysCounties,Texas ............. 11
TABLES
1. LiteraturecitationsforbiologicalsurveysandfieldstudiesintheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,
Texas ..................................................................................................................................................................... 21
2. FishcollectedinstreamsoftheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,Texas............................................................... 27
3. AquaticinvertebratescollectedinstreamsoftheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,Texas ................................... 31
4. AquaticmacrophytesinaquatichabitatsoftheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,Texas ...................................... 36
5. Non-nativespeciesinaquatichabitatsoftheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,Texas.......................................... 36
6. FederalandStatelistedendangeredandthreatenedspeciesinaquatichabitatsoftheSouth-Central
Texasstudyunit,Texas ......................................................................................................................................... 37
7. TroglobiticspeciesoftheEdwardsaquiferintheSouth-CentralTexasstudyunit,Texas .................................. 38
CONTENTS v
VERTICALDATUM
Sealevel:Inthisreport,“sealevel”referstotheNationalGeodeticVerticalDatumof1929—ageodeticdatumderivedfromageneral
adjustmentofthefirst-orderlevelnetsofboththeUnitedStatesandCanada,formerlycalledSeaLevelDatumof1929.
vi
Stream and Aquifer Biology of South-Central
Texas—A Literature Review, 1973–97
By Robert T. Ourso and C. Evan Hornig
Abstract the study unit are associated with springs and
spring runs.
This report summarizes in table format 32
A large number of endemic species in the
aquatic vertebrate (primarily fish), 54 aquatic
study unit are associated with subterranean aquatic
invertebrate, and 13 aquatic plant studies available
ecosystems, most likely a consequence of the
for the area of the South-Central Texas study
unique proximity of the varied topographic and
unit of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-
hydrologic conditions of the area and of the geo-
Quality Assessment. The studies, published mostly
logical development of the Edwards aquifer.
during 1973–97, pertain to the Guadalupe, San
Ninety-one endemics, including 44 species found
Antonio, and Nueces River Basins, the San
solely underground, are associated with the aquatic
Antonio-Nueces and Nueces-Rio Grande Coastal
ecosystems (including springs) of the Edwards
Basins, and the Edwards aquifer where it underlies
aquifer.
the upper parts of the three river basins. The
biology of the study-unit streams is determined INTRODUCTION
mostly by the characteristics of the ecoregions they
transect—the Edwards Plateau, Texas Blackland The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National
Prairies, East Central Texas Plains, Western Gulf Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program began
in 1991 to assess many of the Nation’s major river
Coastal Plain, and Southern Texas Plains.
basins and aquifers. The Program is designed to pro-
About 20 percent of the previous fish and
duce technically sound descriptions regarding the status
invertebrate studies and about 75 percent of the
of and the trends in the resource quality of these aquatic
aquatic plant surveys have centered on Comal
systems. NAWQA also is designed to increase the
Springs in Comal County and San Marcos Springs
understanding of the natural and human factors that
in Hays County. Although several important stud-
affect these water resources and to link this understand-
ies are available for the San Antonio region, docu- ing with the observed status and trends. The nationally
mentation of aquatic biology for the remainder of consistent, integrated assessment of chemical, physical,
the study unit is relatively sparse. The streams in and biological resources will provide water managers
the study unit, particularly in the Edwards Plateau, and policy makers with information for directing water-
support three dominant biological groups—fish, quality management programs and for evaluating the
aquatic invertebrates, and plants. Potential threats effectiveness of these programs. Gilliom and others
(1995) present a complete description of the NAWQA
to these organisms include impoundments and
objectives and design.
flood-control projects, siltation from erosion,
The building blocks of the NAWQA Program
ground-water pumping, recreational activities,
are study-unit investigations. The study units selected
wastewater discharge, and introduction of non-
encompass one or more major river basins and aquifers.
native species. More than 30 non-native fish,
When fully implemented, there will be more than 50
invertebrate, and plant species have been intro-
study units distributed across the Nation. Combined,
duced into the region. Of the 19 aquatic species
they encompass about one-half of the conterminous
Federally listed as endangered or threatened in
United States and 60 to 70 percent of the population and
Texas, 8 are associated with springs and spring runs national water use. One-third of the study units are
in the study unit. All of the endangered species in intensively studied for 3 years on a rotational basis
Abstract 1
with each of the other two groups of study units, result- (chemical, habitat, or more intensive biological studies)
ing in each study unit being revisited for intensive study are done to determine the extent and probable causes.
on 9-year cycles. The NAWQA study unit addressed Biological monitoring also can be used to measure the
in this report is the South-Central Texas (SCTX) success of restoration and the subsequent attainment of
study unit (fig. 1), which includes the Guadalupe, San water-quality standards.
Antonio, and Nueces River Basins; two minor coastal Reference-site or paired-site monitoring helps
basins; and the Trinity, Edwards, Carrizo-Wilcox, and factor out annual area-wide variations in the biota,
Gulf Coast aquifers where they underlie the three river improving the ability to distinguish localized (typically
basins. human-caused) effects from regional (typically cli-
In addition to intensive field investigations, retro- matic) effects. Reference sites are the least impaired
spective reports of existing environmental data are pre- sites in a specific geographic region and serve as
pared at study-unit and national levels to improve the “benchmarks” for evaluating the stream quality at other
understanding of historical and present conditions of sites. State water-quality agencies use biological data at
the water resources and to help interpret results from the reference sites to develop the biological criteria used to
intensive field investigations. Retrospective synthesis determine attainment of water-quality standards for
of existing stream and aquifer biological data for the aquatic life use (Hornig and others, 1995).
SCTX study unit is addressed in this report. The USGS recognizes the critical role of biologi-
cal and habitat data for comprehensive assessment of
Uses of Aquatic Biological Data aquatic environments by water-resource managers.
When complemented with chemical constituent data
Biological monitoring is widely used to assess
and land use information, biological and habitat data
water resources, both as an integrative assessment tool
can be useful for identifying the natural and human
and as the only direct method to determine instream
factors affecting current conditions and the trends in
attainment of State water-quality standards for aquatic
aquatic-resource quality (Cuffney and others, 1997).
life use. These standards are assigned to most U.S.
surface waters. To determine instream attainment of Purpose and Scope
these standards, some states have incorporated biologi-
cal criteria into State water-quality criteria and regula- This retrospective report summarizes information
tions (Davis and others, 1996). These criteria are either on aquatic biology of the streams and rivers in the
narrative descriptions, such as lists of fish species, or Guadalupe, San Antonio, and Nueces River Basins and
numerical expressions (metrics) of aquatic life vari- the San Antonio-Nueces and Nueces-Rio Grande
ables, including diversity indices and pollution toler- Coastal Basins, and of the Edwards aquifer where it
ance values (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, underlies the three river basins. (Aquatic biological
1996). information on the Trinity, Carrizo-Wilcox, and Gulf
Coast aquifers is not included.) The report contains lists
Biological monitoring serves as an integrative
and distributions of fish and aquatic invertebrates, and
assessment tool in two ways: (1) The type and condition
lists of aquatic plants, aquifer organisms, non-native
of organisms reflect the overall health of the aquatic
aquatic species, and endangered aquatic species. The
resources (Karr, 1995), and (2) the relatively stationary
report identifies sources of information on the biology
nature of many aquatic organisms signifies their ability
of the streams and rivers and of the aquifer. Maps are
to integrate environmental conditions over time, thereby
provided to identify studies in specific areas. The report
reducing frequency of sampling needed to detect
summarizes major publications, serving as a “one-stop”
changes (Hynes, 1960).
resource for historical aquatic biological data (prior to
Combining biological monitoring with physical
1998) for this region.
and chemical data can be used to develop a comprehen-
sive and efficient approach to water-quality surveillance
Sources of Biological Data
(Hornig, 1984). Initial surveys of one or more compo-
nents of the resident biota (typically fish, invertebrates, Primarily Federal, State, and academic organiza-
or plants) provide evaluations of the overall quality of tions have collected biological data from river basins in
the water resources. When results from these initial sur- the SCTX study unit. The studies and reports of the
veys indicate biological impairment, follow-up analyses U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Texas Natural
2 Stream and Aquifer Biology of South-Central Texas—A Literature Review, 1973–97
30o EDWARDS 100oREAL KERR GUADALU9P9EoGUKAEDNDAALLULPBLEANCCOOMARIVLER H98AoYS E cfororemg iEOoXnmPse L(rMAnNiokdA, i1Tf9iIe8Od7N)
29oKINNEMAVERICKY ZDUAIMVNVAUMALELIDTCAEESFRIOR2IV8LEEOoNARRBIAVSABINALENRIVERRDSecoEMLFRWRARSIEAVCEI DreSAOEeHkBoANnIRdNBUoNELCA LEM ASF ELRENAICOreDekKTIENOARIVNEMREIODIMANBDATACBURRISAIEMVVVIC EESN XLeRC oAHUR CnRACArOeeLLEkONCRKSLYiSEbEOEAoRlNNVoSOaaodCl.rC I RLAS AANAKLNYNEIOTVRCONreEL Ie NVkC A WGOCIKOEOHUERAKIRRRLPIAVKAIEUSSRRDORSTIIANBNVELEECEUSBROSPASEAACISNNSSAAAN TLAANGDRDNIL VOWMPEET ARBAN OREGWCATZLNOORISASLTILIIOLTCNIAE-INOSDBUASEINCRAEERSFAUNG9S7IOoASGVULIFC COTF AO MLREHXIIACOS OABUANY NANTONIO BEWSTEaodeaseuxswistatn thasCe r ebrBedrnonlns autG PcrTnakuledalllx atfaTae nrCeasydx ouP aaPlssar taPianillrsa iPienlsasin
JIM WELLS
NUECES
NUECES-RIO GRANDE N BUAEYCES EXPLANATION
COASTAL BASIN
Major aquifers (Modified from
Ashworth and Hopkins, 1995)
0 20 40 60 MILES
Gulf Coast
Outcrop Edwards—Subcrop
Subcrop boundary from
30o EDWARDS 100oREAL KERR GUADALUP9E9o KENDALLBLANCCOOMARIVLER H98AoYS C Sacrhriuzlotz-W, 1i9l9c4ox
BANDERA CANYON Trinity
KINNEY UVALDE FRIORIVERSABINALRIVERSecoMECDreeHkonIdoNAM LEACreDekKIENAMEDINABRIEVEXLeoRnACreekCRiboloSaaodCl.r LS AAAKNNETCOreeNkWGIOUIRLIAVESRDOANLUPECSAANLGDRIVOWMEARNRECZLOASLLES Edwards-Trinity
29o MAVERICK ZAVALA LEONARIVER FRIO ATASCOSA KARNES DE WITT 97o VICTORIA
FRIO C CHAONKYEON GOLIAD
DIMMIT LA SALLE RIVER MCM U RLESLEERNVOIR BEE CALHOUN
BalconTeEsX fAauSlt 28o WEBNBUECES DURIVVERAL LIVJIEML C A OC KOWHERARPEKIULSSTLIS SAN PATRICIO RAERFAUNGSIOASGULF OF MEXICO
zone
NUECES
South-Central
Texas NAWQA 0 20 40 60 MILES
LOCATION MAP
Figure 1. Surface-water basins, ecoregions, and major aquifers of the South-Central Texas study unit, Texas.
INTRODUCTION 3