Mountain Creek Reservoir 2008 Survey Report (PDF 220.4 KB)
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Mountain Creek Reservoir - 2008 Survey Report
Prepared by Raphael Brock and Thomas Hungerford
Inland Fisheries Division
District 2-D,
Fort Worth, Texas
This is the authors' summary from a 19-page report. For a copy of the complete report, use the download link in the sidebar.
Fish populations in Mountain Creek Reservoir were surveyed in 2008 using electrofishing and trap netting and in 2009 using gill netting. This report summarizes the results of the surveys and contains a management plan for the reservoir based on those findings.
Reservoir Description
Mountain Creek Reservoir, a 2,493-acre reservoir located on Mountain Creek (a tributary of the Trinity River), was constructed in 1937 by Dallas Power and Light. It was built primarily as a cooling reservoir for a power plant and is now controlled by Excelon Energy Company. It is located in Dallas County four miles southeast of Grand Prairie, Texas. At conservation elevation (457-ft mean-sea-level), the reservoir contains 22,840 acre feet of water. It has an average depth of 8.5 ft and a maximum depth of approximately 26 ft. The reservoir is located in the Blackland Prairies ecological region. The watershed is primarily industrial and residential. The land on the northwest side of the reservoir is owned by the City of Dallas which purchased the property from the U.S. Navy. Angler and boat access is inadequate. There is no handicap specific facility on the reservoir. At the time of sampling the fishery habitat was primarily rip-rap and native emergent vegetation. In April 1996, the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) declared Mountain Creek Reservoir a prohibited area for the possession of all fish species due to their contamination with PCBs.
Management History
Important sport fish include white bass, largemouth bass, white crappie, and channel catfish. All species have been managed through statewide harvest regulations. However, since the implementation of the fish possession ban in 1996, all species have been under a catch and release regulation.
Fish Community
- Prey species: Gizzard and threadfin shad are present in the reservoir. Catch rates of these species have increased compared to previous samples. The total catch rate and the catch rate of bluegills over 5 inches has increased over the past couple of samples.
- Catfish: The catch rate of channel catfish increased compared to previous sample with the population having good structure. Flathead catfish are present but none were captured this past survey year.
- White bass: Past gill netting surveys revealed a small population of white bass. In 2009 white bass were caught at a high rate by gill netting and many were of quality size.
- Largemouth bass: The largemouth bass population has increased in abundance when compared to previous samples. Population size structure is also good.
- White crappie: The white crappie population is very abundant and has good size structure.
Management Strategies
Because of the fish possession ban, the sport fishes will continued to be managed with statewide regulations.
Performance Report as required by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act Texas Federal Aid Project F-30-R-34 Statewide Freshwater Fisheries Monitoring and Management Program