Table 9.—Fishes Taken in a Tributary of Grouse Creek.
| Species | Upstream station | Downstream station |
|---|---|---|
| Ictalurus melas | 45% | |
| Lepomis humilis | 48% | 40% |
| Notropis lutrensis | 5% | 30% |
| Lepomis cyanellus | 2% | 20% |
| Fundulus notatus | 10% |
At two other stations, only Lepomis cyanellus was found. One of these stations consisted of several small spring-fed pools in a dry arroyo tributary to Little Beaver Creek. Around these small "oases" rushes and smartweeds grew and blackbirds were nesting in the rushes. Although green sunfish up to eight inches in length were common in the shallow pools, no other species was found. The second station (C-17) on the East Fork Big Caney River is of special interest. The pool was isolated, had dimensions of about 25×25 feet, and had an average depth of 15 inches. The water was foul; cows had been fed fodder in a sheltered area above the pool during the preceding winter and the entire bottom was covered to a depth of 6 inches to 1 foot with a detritus of decomposing fodder, cattle feces, and leaves. The water became almost inky in consistency when the bottom was stirred and its odor was offensive. A thick gray-green bloom lay on the surface. This bloom was full of bubbles indicating gases rising from the bottom muds. One hundred fifty-three green sunfish, all less than 5 inches in length, were taken in one seine-haul at this station.