The easiest way to prevent mudsnails from spreading is to avoid water contact when possible. However, if your activities include water contact, you can follow these simple steps to reduce the chances of spreading this invader to another stream:

The Basics:

  • 1: Don't be a carrier!
  • Avoid transferring anything wet (especially, waders, boots, and gear) from stream to stream.
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  • 2: Keep it DRY!
  • After every trip to a stream or lake, remove all mud and debris, visually inspect, and completely dry your belongings. If you can, put your wet things in the dryer on high heat for a minimum of 2 hours. Air drying your belongings at temperatures of at least 85°F for 24 -48 hours will also kill mudsnails.

These are the easiest, and most basic things you can do to prevent the spread of New Zealand Mudsnails and prevent the introduction of other invasive species into our local waterways.

Visit more often?

If you frequently visit lakes and streams, (e.g., you are a stream researcher, monitoring crew, watershed survey group, and others who access streams and lakes regularly), you should refer to "How to Prevent the Spread of New Zealand Mudsnails through Field Gear" produced by Oregon Sea Grant.

This guide provide more detailed information on currently accepted methods for treating gear and preventing the spread of mudsnails.

It only takes one snail to infest a waterbody! Please help protect our creeks and streams!

Resources - Mudsnails in Southern California

Santa Monica Mountains 2008 New Zealand Mudsnail Survey
Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and Santa Monica Baykeeper (PDF: 8.84 MB)

The Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and Santa Monica Baykeeper continue to conduct annual mudsnail surveys to track the spread of the invasive New Zealand Mudsnail (NZMS) throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. The 2008 cummulative report documents the increased spread of NZMS and increasing density of NZMS populations throughout the Santa Monica Mountains since 2006. The survey also includes a section identifying recommended locations where NZMS warning signs should be posted.

National Management and Control Plan for the New Zealand Mudsnail
Prepared for the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (PDF:947 KB)

In May 2007, a national mangement plan was prepared to prevent and delay the spread of New Zealand Mudsnails to new areas and to reduce the impacts of existing populations.

Learning More about Mudsnails

New Zealand Mudsnails in the Western United States
Montana State University

This site is one of the most comprehensive internet sources of information on the New Zealand Mudsnail, and looks specifically at infestations in the Western United States. The site has lots of information on snail biology, and detailed information on how to identify New Zealand Mudsnails. The site is hosted from the Department of Ecology at Montana State University-Bozeman.

New Zealand Mud Snail-Potamopyrgus antipodarum
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (PDF:388 KB)

This document provides lots of pictures of the New Zealand Mudsnails, and a detailed report on their biology and vectors of spread.

What you can do about Mudsnails

How to Prevent the Spread of New Zealand Mudsnails through Field Gear
Oregon Sea Grant

This brochure, produced by Oregon Sea Grant, is intended as a guide for professionals (researchers, monitoring crews, watershed survey groups) and other avid users (fishers, avid hikers) who frequently travel in streams and lakes. The brochure provides detailed information on how to clean and treat gear, and how to identify New Zealand Mudsnails.

Protect Your Waters
Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force

This webpage provides a list of four simple tips for preventing the spread of aquatic nuisance species (another name for invasive species that live in water), including the New Zealand Mudsnail. Protect Your Waters is part of the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers web site, produced by the ANS Task Force public awareness campaign and sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.

HACCP for Natural Resource Pathways
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (or HACCP) is a method developed by the US FDA to prevent food-borne illnesses, and has been adopted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to control the spread of invasive species. This website provides sample plans and tools to help users develop HACCP plans for their specific activities.

Mudsnail PSA (English) (Spanish)
Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains (RCDSMM)

This PSA was produced by the RCDSMM to inform the public about the threat of the New Zealand Mudsnail, and what they could do to prevent its spread. The PSA is available in both English and Spanish.