Alvarado Park Reservoir - 2017 Survey Report

Prepared by Michael S. Baird and John Tibbs
Inland Fisheries Division
Waco District

This is the authors' summary from a 23-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.

Fish populations in Alvarado Park Reservoir were surveyed in 2017 using electrofishing and in 2018 using gill netting. Historical data are presented with the 2017-2018 data for comparison. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.

Reservoir Description

Alvarado Park Reservoir is a 507-acre impoundment located near the City of Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas and is operated by the City of Alvarado. Primary water use is recreation and flood control. Bank and boat access has been fair in the past, yet lacked handicap facilities. The current boat ramp is being renovated and new facilities are being constructed at the time of this report writing. Habitat features consisted mainly of natural shoreline, bulk heading, boat docks and piers, and emergent aquatic vegetation.

Management History

Important sport fish include Largemouth Bass, White Bass and Channel Catfish. Since 2013, management efforts have focused on posting appropriate aquatic invasive species (AIS) signage at access points to try and prevent the spread of zebra mussels into the reservoir, and supporting the statewide public relations campaign “Clean. Drain. Dry”. The City of Alvarado successfully applied for a federal Boating Access Grant administered through Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and renovation and construction was in progress as of March 2018. Recent management efforts include full aquatic vegetation and boater access surveys conducted during summer 2017.

Fish Community

• Prey species: Gizzard Shad and Threadfin Shad were present in the reservoir in reduced numbers from the previous survey. Electrofishing catch of Bluegill was high, but few other sunfishes were collected.
• Catfishes: Channel Catfish were abundant. Most individuals were in excellent condition and there were lots of legal-length fish for anglers. Blue and Flathead Catfish were also present in the reservoir.
• White Bass: Only one White Bass was collected despite doubling gill netting effort.
• Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass were abundant and in good condition. There were far more legal-length fish available to anglers than in the previous survey.
• White Crappie: White Crappie, although not targeted, were moderately abundant.

Management Strategies

The sport fishes in Alvarado Park Reservoir will continue to be managed with statewide regulations. We will continue to maintain AIS signage at access points and inform the public about the negative impacts of AIS. Access and vegetation surveys will be conducted in summer 2021, and electrofishing and gill net surveys will be conducted in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-3 Statewide Freshwater Fisheries Monitoring and Management Program