Documentation of social impacts resulting from the construction of Lake Ray Roberts is to be incorporated into a two year post-impoundment study. Research objectives are to: 1) locate current residences of landowners and previous landowners who were displaced; 2) determine social impacts resulting from construction of Lake Ray Roberts; 3) document degree of satisfaction with current living conditions; 4) document landowners' degree of satisfaction associated with COE negotiations; 5) document landowners' observations. Landowners were identified by telephone and sent a mail-back questionnaire. Respondents were generally happy with current residences and communities. While courtesy and sufficient information were provided by the COE, respondents would have preferred for property settlements to be more consistent and timely.

A total of 192 largemouth bass were caught at Lake Ray Roberts, Texas (1995) to investigate five controversial bass angling techniques relative to hooking mortality. The bait types were Texas-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, Carolina-rigged scented and non-scented plastic worms, and live golden shiners. Overall hooking mortality was 21.87% and mortality was dependent upon bait type. Highest mortality resulted from the Texas-rigged scented lures, while the lowest mortality was generated by live golden shiners. A creel survey indicated that few anglers were having success with the investigated baits. Factors that had a confirmed effect on hooking mortality were hooking location and water temperature. Hooking mortality was not excessive compared to other similar studies.

This study focused on the effectiveness of integrating traditional plant community analyses with landscape ecological analyses based on remotely sensed data. A temporal analysis of plant community diversity was conducted for major plant communities of the Ray Roberts Lake area using transect monitoring data collected between 1987 and 1997. Landscape analyses were performed with FRAGSTATS*ARC using classified SPOT satellite imagery for 1987 and 1997. Although the methodology developed in this work was exploratory, it was found that characterizing the dynamics of major plant communities in the study area produced a more effective and insightful analysis of Ray Roberts Lake area landscape dynamics.

The objective of this research was to determine if physical and microbial sediment characterizations could be used to explain benthic macroinvertebrate distribution in two branches of Lake Ray Roberts, Texas.

Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to explore relationships between measured environmental variables and in situ phytoplankton communities in a moderately eutrophic North Texas Reservoir.

Two years before impoundment, the trophic status of Lake Ray Roberts was predicted by applying the total phosphorus input into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) eutrophication model. Predicted mean summer epilimnetic (MSE) chlorophyll a of Elm Fork arm, Isle duBois arm and Main Body were in the eutrophic category of the OECD model. Observed MSE chlorophyll a two years after impoundment of Elm Fork arm, Isle duBois and Main Body had not reached their predicted means and were at the mesotrophic-eutrophic boundary of the OECD model. Six years after impoundment, observed MSE chlorophyll a for Main Body, was closer to its predicted mean and in the eutrophic category of the OECD model. Six years after impoundment, Elm Fork arm was the most productive area of Lake Ray Roberts. Observed means of chlorophyll a, total phosphates, suspended solids and turbidity were often highest in the Elm Fork arm. Wastewater effluent from Gainesville and Valley View, TX, had an impact on productivity in Elm Fork arm.