We have all heard of invasive species, like the Asian Carp and Zebra Mussels, in Michigan.
The latest invasive species found in Michigan is called the New Zealand mud snail.
A researcher from the Annis Water Resources Institute and Professor of Biology at Grand Valley State University, Mark Luttenton, recently found mud snails in the East Branch of the Au Sable River.
This is particularly troubling because the Au Sable is hallowed ground for Michigan fishermen and women, particularly those who enjoy fly fishing.
Luttenton says mud snails were already in the Great Lakes and the Pere Marquette River system, but this is the first time they were found in the Au Sable waterway, and the first time in the Lake Huron watershed.
New Zealand Mud Snails eat large amounts of food, and are not good food for the fish in the river because they cannot be easily digested.
While there are not a lot of mud snails in the river now, Luttenton expects they will spread quickly because they reproduce asexually. Luttenton says, "Once they are there, they're there. There's nothing we can do at this point to reduce or eliminate mud snails in a system they've already been introduced into. So then it really does become a matter of prevention."
People who are fishing or using the waterways of Michigan for canoeing, wading, or other activities can help prevent the spread of mud snails by not going from one river to another with the same equipment.
Scientists are not sure how long the mud snail can live out of water. So, they recommend letting your waders and other equipment dry for more than a week before using it again.
The state is asking fishermen and women to clean their waders and other equipment in a solution including Formula 409 for at least 10 minutes.