Buffalo Springs Reservoir 2016 Survey Report (PDF 419.8 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing the information in this document, contact the TPWD Inland Fisheries Division for assistance.
Buffalo Springs Reservoir - 2016 Survey Report
Prepared by John Clayton and Charles Munger
Inland Fisheries Division
Amarillo District,
Canyon, Texas
This is the authors' summary from a 32-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.
Fish populations in Buffalo Springs Reservoir were surveyed in 2016 using electrofishing and in 2017 using gill nets. Historical data are presented with the 2016-2017 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
Buffalo Springs is a 225-acre reservoir that was impounded in 1960 on Yellowhouse Draw, a tributary of the North Fork of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River, located 5 miles southeast of Lubbock, Texas. It is owned by the Lubbock County Water Control and Improvement District Number 1 and used for recreational purposes. Water level has been stable and nutrient levels in the reservoir are extremely high. A large portion of fish habitat was cattail. Bank and boat access was good and handicap specific facilities were good. The reservoir has experienced Prymnesium parvum (golden alga) kills beginning in 2003 which have had a major impact on the fish populations.
Management History
The sport fish populations have been managed with statewide regulations. Intensive Striped Bass stockings have been used to manage an over-abundant Gizzard Shad population with good success.
Fish Community
- Prey species: There was a high number of Gizzard Shad sampled during electrofishing in 2016, and 75% of the shad were small enough to be utilized as prey. Bluegill numbers have increased, and the population was dominated by 5 and 6 inch fish.
- Catfishes: Channel Catfish appear to be the dominate catfish species in the reservoir. No Blue Catfish were observed in the 2017 gill net survey, but Channel Catfish ranging from 9 to 24 inches were observed.
- Temperate basses: Only one White Bass has ever been sampled in gill nets (2001 gill net survey). The gill net catch rate for Striped Bass improved from 0.4/nn in 2015 to 2.2/nn in 2017.
- Largemouth Bass: The electrofishing catch rate for Largemouth Bass has increased from 32.0/h in 2012 to 136.0/h in 2016. Size structure was still dominated by smaller individuals, but there has been an increase in the number of legal-size fish.
- White Crappie: During the 2016 electrofishing survey, White Crappie from 6 inches to 10 inches were observed in the reservoir.
Management Strategies
- Based on current information, the reservoir should continue to be managed with existing regulations.
- Continue stocking Striped Bass to help maintain control of the Gizzard Shad population.
- Striped Bass should be stocked on an alternating basis at a rate of 15/acre and 40/acre in two consecutive years and then two years of no stocking based on protocols used during research conducted by Schramm et al. (2000).
- The reservoir should be monitored for P. parvum and associated fish kills, and restocking of affected species should be conducted as soon as practical.
Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, Texas Federal Aid Project F-221-M-2 Inland Fisheries Division Monitoring and Management Program