Officials issue warning after making disturbing discovery at critical reservoir: 'A real risk'
A New Zealand mudsnail might not sound too dangerous, but for officials in Wyoming, finding the species in a local reservoir has been a conservation nightmare.
What's happening?
In a press release from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), officials shared that New Zealand mudsnails have been confirmed in Gelatt Lake and Wheatland Reservoir #3, both near Laramie in southern Wyoming. They thanked the "awareness of local anglers" for making the discoveries and reporting them for sampling, which confirmed the species' presence.
These aren't the first instances of the invasive species in the region, but they are cases two and three after the snail was first detected in Alsop Lake in 2023.
Why are invasive species so concerning?
Invasive species, like the New Zealand mudsnail, cause ripples of ecological change, and eventually those ripples can reach nearly every living creature in their environment.
As for the mudsnails, they are incredibly quick to reproduce. And unfortunately, the more their population swells, the more competition native species face for resources. The snails have been found to consume up to half of the available food resources in a stream, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Moreover, the snails themselves can't serve as a new food source for local fish. They're so small that they often pass through a digestive system unharmed, and even if they are consumed, they offer very few nutrients.
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They've also been linked to reduced populations of aquatic insects, which serve as important food sources for species like trout and salmon. And of course, species like trout and salmon are both key food sources and economic necessities for humans, meaning that these tiny snails could ultimately spell disaster for both Wyoming residents' livelihoods and diets.
"These snails threaten our fisheries … and can affect the nutrients and chemistry of the water," said regional AIS specialist Nick Edwards, per the press release.
And unfortunately for Wyoming, once these snails have been introduced to a body of water, they are "functionally impossible to remove," the WGFD stated.
What's being done to manage their spread?
The snails are so small that they frequently travel on people, equipment, vehicles, and pets that have not been properly cleaned and dried. Because of that, the WGFD wrote that its office "appreciates all reports of suspected AIS and encourages everyone using Wyoming waters to clean, drain and dry their gear, every time."
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"In the Laramie valley, anglers often fish multiple plains lakes in a day. If gear like wading boots are not properly cleaned, there's a real risk of spreading AIS between all of them," said regional fisheries supervisor Bobby Compton.
"The integrity of our fisheries relies on the vigilance of everyone who uses these waters," WGFD concluded.
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Officials issue warning after making disturbing discovery at critical reservoir: 'A real risk' first appeared on The Cool Down.
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