New Zealand mudsnails in Spring Creek

Pennsylvania has gotten hit with some bad news a few times this year about invasive species having a potential negative impaction on some waterways. Earlier in the year we heard about Didymo turning up in Pine Creek and more recently there was news about New Zealand mudsnails in Spring Creek. Fly fishing is a fun casual sport, but more often than not extra precautions will need to be follow with our gear.

Invasive species generally are plants or animals that are non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem and whose introduction causes harm to the native species. New Zealand mud snails have been detrimental in reducing some western streams productivity. Populations can reach 28,000 snails per square foot. This rapid and expansive growth can compete with native species.

“Based on studies conducted in western U.S. streams, if the population grows quickly, they could become the dominant organisms in the benthic – or bottom dwelling – community, upon which many others species depend for food,” said Bob Morgan, the PFBC’s ecologist who studies aquatic invasive species. “Because this is the first known occurrence of the New Zealand mudsnail on the Atlantic slope of the eastern U.S, the effects of the snail on higher organisms, such as fish, are not certain at this time.”

Fly fishing anglers will need to take extra precautions in cleaning their gear before leaving Spring Creek and entering another waterway. This is a serious issue without proper measures the situation could get worse in the region.

From the PFBC below and Clean Your Gear:
"New Zealand mudsnails require some specialized disinfection measures. Gear should be visually inspected and any clinging matter should be removed and disposed of in the trash. To kill mudsnails, three methods are effective. Gear can be frozen for a minimum of six hours, or it can be soaked in hot water - 120°F to 140°F - for five minutes. This last method is not recommended for Gortex.

Also, a 2005 study by the California Department of Fish and Game showed that mudsnails can be killed by soaking gear for five minutes in a one-to-one solution of Formula 409® Cleaner Degreaser Disinfectant and water. After soaking gear for five minutes, thoroughly rinse it with plain water. Simply spraying gear with the disinfectant or the mixture does not work. Also, general cleaners have not been shown to be effective against the mudsnail." [see note below]1

These steps in keeping your gear clean are not going to work very well if you are planning to go from Spring Creek and then say Penns Creek in the same day. It has been suggested in the forum that if you spend a lot of time in the Central Pennsylvania area fly fishing and jump from stream to stream frequently, an extra pair of old boots for just Spring Creek may be the way to go for now.

Whatever your plans may be to fish in the region, keep yourself education on these invasive species and take the necessary steps to protect the streams you and many others like to fly fish.

1 Side Note:
There seems to be some conflicting information about the success of using Formula 409® Cleaner Degreaser Disinfectant and water to kill New Zealand mudsnails. Here is the 2005 PDF study by the California Department of Fish and Game and the several sources are reporting that 409 doesn't work. So go figure there is conflict.

So to help I have found another site that offers a few more suggestions on how to deal with eliminating the snails on your gear here. Options look like freezing, completely drying, Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate (which has it's own debate) or my suggestion...buy a set of inexpensive extra gear for Spring Creek.

Sorry about what I thought was serious problem had a simple solution. Wrong again!







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Gotcha. That's what I thought, wasn't sure if it recently showed up on any other streams.

 

Gotcha. That's what I thought, wasn't sure if it recently showed up on any other streams.

 

Thanks for calling it out. I got way too caught up in the mud snail issue and didn't didn't double check my own [d]facts[/d] memory. I knew the story broke in July and just screwed up my streams. Enough bad news about all this stuff this year, don't need me adding to it as well.

 

Thanks for calling it out. I got way too caught up in the mud snail issue and didn't didn't double check my own [d]facts[/d] memory. I knew the story broke in July and just screwed up my streams. Enough bad news about all this stuff this year, don't need me adding to it as well.

 

Thanks for calling it out. I got way too caught up in the mud snail issue and didn't didn't double check my own [d]facts[/d] memory. I knew the story broke in July and just screwed up my streams. Enough bad news about all this stuff this year, don't need me adding to it as well.

 

I think it's good to get a contextual visual aid on the mud snails. This information page has (at the time I write this) a picture of a dime, along with snails in various stages of development. Interestingly enough, in New Zealand, it is thought that the population is kept in check by a parasitic trematode (small worm), which appears to neuter the snails and keep some of them from reproducing. However, from an ecological perspective, it creates a bit of angst to think about introducing something else to combat an evasive. I think of the story of "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.." - she died of course.

 

I think it's good to get a contextual visual aid on the mud snails. This information page has (at the time I write this) a picture of a dime, along with snails in various stages of development. Interestingly enough, in New Zealand, it is thought that the population is kept in check by a parasitic trematode (small worm), which appears to neuter the snails and keep some of them from reproducing. However, from an ecological perspective, it creates a bit of angst to think about introducing something else to combat an evasive. I think of the story of "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.." - she died of course.

 

I think it's good to get a contextual visual aid on the mud snails. This information page has (at the time I write this) a picture of a dime, along with snails in various stages of development. Interestingly enough, in New Zealand, it is thought that the population is kept in check by a parasitic trematode (small worm), which appears to neuter the snails and keep some of them from reproducing. However, from an ecological perspective, it creates a bit of angst to think about introducing something else to combat an evasive. I think of the story of "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.." - she died of course.