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Icky Algae Alarms New England Fishermen
In South Dakota, the algae is suspected of decimating brown trout populations in some spots.
Not only does rock snot threaten fish, but it's an unsightly nuisance. Fishermen complain that they can't cast their lines or they pull them up covered in gunk.
  Mary Russ, executive director of the White River Partnership, holds a rock covered with didymo in the White River in Stockbridge, Vt., Friday, July 27, 2007. The aquatic algae didymo -- Didymosphenia geminata -- has infested rivers in New Zealand with gray floating growth but had never been seen in the Northeast before this summer when fishermen spotted it in the upper Connecticut and White rivers. Northeast states are on alert. They're warning anglers and boaters to scour their boats and clean their gear to prevent the algae's spread. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot) (Toby Talbot - Associated Press) 
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Jeff Williams, Arkansas' trout program supervisor, said out-of-staters were disappointed to find that the White River "wasn't as clean of a river as it used to be. The gravel is covered with didymo."
Once rare, the algae is perplexing scientists with the frequency of nuisance blooms.
"It seems to be something different _ this expansion and production of big masses in the U.S.," Spaulding said.
Where it once preferred high-altitude, low-nutrient rivers, rock snot has shown up in rivers in Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee, raising questions about what triggers its growth. Dammed rivers provide a constant water flow for it to bloom, and drought and changes in sunlight may also play a role.
"We think there are other factors that we don't yet know about," said Spaulding.
In New Zealand, the algae has infested as many as 55 waterways on South Island, growing up to 7 inches thick. Scientists are trying a copper treatment to manage it, and anyone who knowingly spreads the algae is treated as a criminal. The penalty: up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000.
For now, the algae is in its early stages in New England, forming nubby brown growths on rocks.
"I think all of the Northeast is tuned in to see what the effects will be, so they can start taking preventive measures," said Mary Russ, executive director of the White River Partnership.
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On the Net:
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation: http:/
Environmental Protection Agency: http:/
Federation of Fly Fishers: http:/
