Thursday June 6, 2024
Local News Matters via MSN —
Atiny invasive snail species that can endanger native fish has been discovered at the hatchery near Lake Sonoma, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
The New Zealand mudsnail has been found in other parts of the Russian River watershed, but this is the first confirmed detection at the Warm Springs Fish Hatchery, according to state wildlife officials.
“The detection levels so far have not been alarming, but we want to do everything we can to minimize the spread,” said CDFW North Central regional manager Morgan Kilgour.
The snails were found in a water intake pipe and aeration pond during a regular hatchery survey this summer and since then, scientists have inspected about 75 percent of the Coho salmon-bearing streams in the watershed but have not found additional snails.