Eel study to continue through September

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The City of Gonzales has saved $6,000 by switching to San Marcos-based Bio-West for environmental research during the planning and engineering phase before repairs are made to the hydroelectric dam and facility, but the savings turned out to be a wash, because Texas Parks and Wildlife has requested the same amount of funds to carry out an American Eel study through September.

Texas Parks and wildlife has been monitoring American Eel activity since September 2016 and even caught some eel in late June, but catching eels can prove to be a struggle as eels are able to cover their entire bodies with a mucous layer, making them nearly impossible to capture by hand – “slippery as an eel” is more than just a figure of speech.

The state has set up an eel ramp monitoring system, at the city's hydroelectric dam, but the city has caught no eels by this method. Workers have seen two, but they were unable to net them.

Texas Parks and Wildlife did have some success recently when four eel specimens were caught by electro-fishing, a method by which a metal rod is put into the water and an electric current is run through it to attract the eels.

City Manager Sean Lally said the eel research agreement could expedite project approval, which would be beneficial to the city through the expedient approval, repair and renovation of the hydroelectric facility.

The city is set to decide whether to spend the $6,000 to continue the eel ramp study or for three monthly electrofishing sessions, as recommended by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Additional eel studies could be required in phase two of the study plan.

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