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WESTERN SNAILS ON BRINK OF EXTINCTION For immediate release July 29, 2004 A coalition of scientists and conservation groups filed a petition today requesting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extend Endangered Species Act protection to the Harney Lake springsnail, a rare freshwater snail found only in eastern Oregon, and the Columbia springsnail, a rare freshwater snail found only in the lower Columbia River of Oregon and Washington. The petition also includes the Jackson Lake springsnail, which is only found in Jackson Lake, Wyoming. A recent study suggests the Harney Lake and Columbia springsnails may be the same species and may also be the same as the Idaho springsnail--an endangered species found only in the Snake River of southern Idaho--and the Jackson Lake springsnail, found only in and around Jackson Lake in northwestern Wyoming. Citing this study, the coalition has petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service to extend protection to the Harney Lake, Columbia, and Jackson Lake springsnails, which scientists agree are critically imperiled and on the brink of extinction. "The science clearly shows the Harney Lake, Columbia, Idaho, and Jackson Lake springsnails are threatened with extinction," said Dr. Peter Bowler, a scientist who has studied springsnails for over 25 years and who joined the petition effort. "Whether they're all one species or four separate species, they need protection." The Harney Lake springsnail was once found in springs throughout eastern Oregon, but has declined by over 60 percent and now lives in only four springs. Overgrazing by cattle, groundwater pumping, and development of springs for livestock have destroyed much of the species' habitat. The remaining populations are all being trampled by cattle. Also, excessive groundwater pumping continues to lower water tables, causing springs to dry up. The Columbia springsnail, once widespread in the lower Columbia River in Oregon and Washington, has declined significantly and is now found at only six locations. Dams have altered water flows and water quality, destroying much of the species' habitat. The snail survives only in a few areas that resemble what the Columbia River was like before it was dammed. Sediment pollution and agricultural pollution also pose serious threats to the species and its habitat. Described as "indicator species," populations of the Harney Lake and Columbia springsnails and their relatives signal the health of freshwater habitats. The snails are dependent upon relatively undisturbed habitats, making them excellent indicators of natural watershed health. "These springsnails are like the warning light on the dashboard of our environment," said Jeremy Nichols, Endangered Species Program Director for Wyoming-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "Protecting these imperiled species ultimately protects the health and sustainability of our watersheds for today's and future generations." Endangered Species Act protection for the Harney Lake and Columbia springsnails would mean that their habitat would be protected and restored. Protection under the Endangered Species Act would ensure a valuable and integral part of the web of life in Oregon is protected. "Springsnails, like the Harney Lake and Columbia springsnails and their relatives, are an integral part of the web of life wherever they are found," said Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. "They consume organic material in the water and recycle plant and animal waste. Fish, amphibians, birds, and insects also feed on springsnails, forming an important link in the food chain." The petitioners include Dr. Peter Bowler, a University of California ecologist and Idaho springsnail expert; Wyoming-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, a regional conservation group dedicated to protecting native species and their habitats; The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, an international nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to preserving the diversity of life through the conservation of invertebrates; the Western Watersheds Project, an Idaho group working to protect the health of western waters; and the Center for Biological Diversity, a national species conservation group. For a copy of the petition and more information about the Harney Lake, Columbia, Idaho, and Jackson Lake springsnails, go to: http://www.biodiversityassociates.org/wildspecies/news/n28july04.html For More Information Contact: |