All,

Just before the break, grad students in my lab found a thriving population of New Zealand mud snails in College Creek (right by the dorms and soccer field). New Zealand mud snails are a notorious invasive species that reproduces very rapidly- they often become very abundant where conditions are suitable. There is no known way to eradicate established populations. The snails are easy to spread inadvertently on shoes, waders, and sampling gear as they are small and inconspicuous and can survive out of water for long periods of time if they are in a damp location. Faculty conducting field trips to freshwater or brackish habitats should be aware that CA DFW sampling permits and access permits have decontamination requirements for anyone who has been in contact with mud snail infested waters. The snails are already present in Redwood Creek and the lagoons, but not (that we know of) in the Eel River, Mad River, Arcata marsh, or other tributaries to Humboldt Bay.

More information about the snails:
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Invasives/Species/NZmudsnail

Recommended decontamination procedures for gear (pdf):
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=22574&inline