Keep ‘rock snot' out of Vail

EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado — Didymosphenia geminata is the scientific name for a very nasty algae that’s becoming a problem in Gore Creek and other waterways in Eagle County.

It’s called didymo, for short, or is known as “rock snot” to others. It looks sort of like gooey masses of wet tissue paper. The stuff is spread unknowingly by fisherman and boaters traveling from one body of water to another.

What does it do? Aside from looking pretty gross and making it difficult to fish, it disrupts the food chain. Its presence effects how insects live in the water, which throws everything else out of whack.

Didymo is one of a handful of bothersome, unwelcome species that could have a profound effect on our ecosystem if we’re not careful, says Brian Healy, a biologist with the U.S. Forest Service.

The other problem species are chytrid fungus, whirling disease, zebra mussels and New Zealand mud snails. Each of these has already been found in Colorado, and could easily be spread here, inadvertently, by hitching a ride on fishing and boating equipment.

Each of these species, like didymo, have a way of throwing off food chains, and that’s the main concern. When food chains are thrown off, everything else suffers, Healy said.

“The ecological impacts will be huge, and the economical impacts will be huge,” Healy said. “Fishing is a huge industry in this state, and these things could throw it all out of balance. You’ll have lower productively in your fisheries, which means less fish.”

How do we prevent the spread of invasive species? Thoroughly clean and dry every bit of your boating and fishing equipment, Healy said.

Invasive species spread from one body of water to another via waders, boots, paddles and boats. If you clean things like this, they won’t spread.

Here are some profiles of the main offenders:

Didymo

The algae Didymo has been found in the Eagle River, Piney River, Gore Creek and Peru Creek. It is native to Colorado, but is considered a nuisance. It forms large blankets of goo resembling brown shag carpet or lamb’s wool. It can seriously alter the food chain where it grows.

It sticks to anything, especially fishing and boating equipment, and can easily be transferred from one body of water to another.

New Zealand mud snail

As its name implies, this mud snail hails from New Zealand, but made its way to North America and is now found in Colorado rivers. The New Zealand mud snail has no natural predators in North America and has the ability to reproduce quickly. Like other invasive species, it can seriously alter the foodchain of natural ecosystems.

The mud snail is resilient and can survive in a variety of conditions from silty river bottoms to clear mountain streams. It can survive out of water for several days and it takes only one to start a new population. The mud snail is inadvertently spread through swimming, boating and fishing.

Zebra mussels

These are some of the worst things to have around, Healy says.

They’re from the Black and Caspian seas in Asia, first appearing in the Great Lakes in North America.

“The problem with those guys is they reproduce very prolifically. In the East, they’ve caused millions and millions of dollars of damage by clogging water intakes, dams, spillways and other lake infrastructures,” Healy said. “They can also cause shifts in aquatic ecosystems. They are directly competing with small fish for food.”

Chytrid fungus

This fungus is believed one of the main reason for the dramatic decline of amphibian populations (frogs and toads) worldwide. It has been found in over a dozen toad populations throughout Colorado, including some in the White River National Forest.

It can be spread through infected standing water in boats or transmitted by attaching to wading equipment.

Whirling disease

Whirling disease, caused by water borne spores of the parasite Myxobolus cerebralis, is a parasitic condition that affects trout and salmon and causes nerve damage and deformities. The disease originated in Europe where native brown trout have developed a natural resistance. Most native species to Colorado have little to no natural resistance to the parasite.

The spore stage of the parasite is easily spread by anglers and boaters. It can adhere to fishing and wading equipment and may be found in any standing water. Never dispose of fish parts or entrails directly into any body of water.

Staff Writer Matt Terrell can be reached at 970-748-2955 or mterrell@vaildaily.com.

Stopping the spread Here’s how to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species: • Before leaving a waters edge, all equipment in contact with water must be scrubbed and cleaned of all mud, silt, sand, plant material, or anything else adhering to equipment. • Empty all standing water from any watercraft before leaving the water’s edge. • Fishermen must disinfect equipment and watercraft when moving from one stream to another and at the end of each outing, including waders, boots, neoprene gloves, nets, life jackets, etc. Any equipment that comes in contact with the water must be disinfected. • Watercraft for special recreation events must be thoroughly dried and disinfected inside and out before participating in the event. • Any watercraft or trailer traveling from outside the White River National Forest must be thoroughly dried and disinfected inside and out before entering any waters on the forest • Whenever possible, dry all equipment in contact with water for a minimum of five days before using again. Note: If a watercraft or trailer is using the same body of water repeatedly in a day, or on a daily basis, it is not required to disinfect the watercraft or trailer each time. However, the watercraft must be disinfected before entering any other body of water in the forest. PHOTO: Submitted, but might be too small.