MD_Gene
Member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2007
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FROM CODORUS CREEK TU NEWSLETTER
Invasive Species Confirmed
New Zealand Mudsnails already well established in the Codorus
One of the threats to the Codorus Creek trout fishery that has always been a concern of ours was the introduction of a detrimental invasive species. Unfortunately, that concern became a reality recently with the discovery of New Zealand Mudsnails in the creek. Positive identification has been made by experts within the PA Fish and Boat Commission. Already well-established, this prolific invader is present throughout the length of the designated Trophy Trout section. While tiny, these snails reproduce in significant numbers and compete strongly with the rest of the benthic community for food and habitat. There is currently no way to eradicate them, and only time will tell what their impact, if any, will be on the fishery. They do exist in other PA rivers where the trout and the fishing have done just fine.
At this point, our primary focus will be education and the promotion of good practices to prevent spread to other streams. These snails are transported from stream to stream on wading and fishing gear, and that's how we got them. They're so small that they can easily lodge in wading shoes, landing nets and elsewhere. They can sustain themselves on even slightly damp surfaces, so they can easily survive on your stuff between fishing trips. Close visual inspection, freezing your gear, and extremely thorough gear drying are a few of the measures that can help. Many anglers have now opted for a second set of wading gear - one set each for infected and uninfected waters. There's an extensive amount of information online, so we're urging each of you to educate yourselves and adopt a new set of best practices. Educational signage is currently being prepared by the Fish and Boat Commission, and you'll see those signs appearing along the stream sometime in the near future.
This is obviously news that we hoped we would never have to bring you. But now that the problem is here, we hope that you'll all do your part to contain it and not make it worse by spreading them elsewhere. If you have any questions, please let us know and we'll do our best to get you an answer. Thanks in advance for your diligence.
Invasive Species Confirmed
New Zealand Mudsnails already well established in the Codorus
One of the threats to the Codorus Creek trout fishery that has always been a concern of ours was the introduction of a detrimental invasive species. Unfortunately, that concern became a reality recently with the discovery of New Zealand Mudsnails in the creek. Positive identification has been made by experts within the PA Fish and Boat Commission. Already well-established, this prolific invader is present throughout the length of the designated Trophy Trout section. While tiny, these snails reproduce in significant numbers and compete strongly with the rest of the benthic community for food and habitat. There is currently no way to eradicate them, and only time will tell what their impact, if any, will be on the fishery. They do exist in other PA rivers where the trout and the fishing have done just fine.
At this point, our primary focus will be education and the promotion of good practices to prevent spread to other streams. These snails are transported from stream to stream on wading and fishing gear, and that's how we got them. They're so small that they can easily lodge in wading shoes, landing nets and elsewhere. They can sustain themselves on even slightly damp surfaces, so they can easily survive on your stuff between fishing trips. Close visual inspection, freezing your gear, and extremely thorough gear drying are a few of the measures that can help. Many anglers have now opted for a second set of wading gear - one set each for infected and uninfected waters. There's an extensive amount of information online, so we're urging each of you to educate yourselves and adopt a new set of best practices. Educational signage is currently being prepared by the Fish and Boat Commission, and you'll see those signs appearing along the stream sometime in the near future.
This is obviously news that we hoped we would never have to bring you. But now that the problem is here, we hope that you'll all do your part to contain it and not make it worse by spreading them elsewhere. If you have any questions, please let us know and we'll do our best to get you an answer. Thanks in advance for your diligence.
