Damnit: Mud Snails Found in Lake Shasta. Is the Lower Sacramento Next?

You hope you don’t come home from a fishing trip to find a headline like this waiting for you, but there it is — the New Zealand Mud Snails have been found in Lake Shasta, which — you’ve gotta figure — means they’ll probably end up in the Lower Sac at some point in the near future.

Mud snails are tiny, but very hardy and tenacious.

The Upper Sacramento? Who knows. It wouldn’t take much to spread them upstream. From the Redding Record Searchlight:

In an effort to stop the spread of a tiny, invasive snail, anglers are being asked to freeze or dry out their waders after a dip at Lake Shasta.

Last month the lake was discovered to be the latest body of water in California where the hardy New Zealand mud snail lives, said Kyle Orr, spokesman for the state Department of Fish and Game.

Hopefully, anglers will act responsibly to avoid spreading this invasive species — which has no known predators in the USA.

It covers lake and river bottoms at such high densities that other invertebrate life is simply squeezed out of the food chain. And of course, less food = fewer fish.

If you’re not sure how to remove New Zealand Mud Snails from waders and boots (they’re extremely good at hitching rides), then you might want to read California Fish & Game’s report on their field tests, which include this summary paragraph:

We believe that the use of copper sulfate, benzethonium chloride or Formula 409® Disinfectant immersion baths or in dry sacks provides an acceptable alternative to the current physical methods of removing NZMS from wading gear. Copper sulfate was also effective when sprayed on the gear.

These have the advantage of requiring less than 30 minutes to complete versus freezing (4 to 6 hours) or desiccation (possibly days) and cleaning can be done in the field. However, it may be necessary to carry a container to place the gear in during cleaning. After cleaning, the gear should not be rinsed with site water as this may place NZMS back on the gear. Care must also be taken to ensure that the cleaning solutions not enter surface water.

We propose that a possible cleaning protocol based on the results of this study could be distributed through an outreach program to various fishing groups, consultants and researchers that may visit NZMS infested waters (Appendix 3).

Freezing your boots and waders for 4-6 hours is also an extremely effective way to rid yourself of the pests. In addition, I now use a second set of waders and boots when I travel (Tennessee, Maine, etc) in the hopes I’ll prevent the spread of something vile and as yet unknown (either way).

I’ll post more on this infestation as the information becomes available.

See you at the wader cleaning station, Tom Chandler.

Technorati tags: mud snail, new zealand mud snail, lake shasta, mud snail infestation, invasive species, bad bad news