didymo (rock snot) in yough

Army Corp posted it on facebook too

Is there a treatment for this? Is there anyway to reverse this? Are we going to get it fixed?

The Tuesday 6/12/12 issue of the Greensburg Tribune Review has an article about the Rock Snot at Ohio Pyle. Go online and read it. Said that they have no plan to eliminate it, just try to stop its spread.

burghwolfe

We noticed last year at the Yough lake that the water was not nearly as clear as it was in past years. Even first thing in the morning when there was no boat traffic, the water seemed much more murky than usual.  And when we went swimming, our trunks, etc would always have a brown looking stain on them. The stain wasn't permanent, but it was just unusual since we hadn't seen it before. I wonder if it is related.  Although I haven't noticed the giant clumps of rock snot at the dam.

Unrelated.  Boat traffic was so heavy last year that the silts didn't have time to settle out overnight, leaving the water still murky on weekend mornings.  Go on a Tuesday and it is crystal clear.

It wasn't found below the dam yet. The actual finding was at the loop takeout below the falls. That certainly doesn't mean it isn't elsewhere in the river though. More surveys will be done soon to see the extent of colonization that has already occurred.

With all the traffic down there, it surely has spread elsewhere by now, but who knows where. The bottom line is that people need to clean their gear every time, and be even more diligent when they are in waters that are confirmed to have aquatic invasives (snot isnt the only one).

Honestly, I'm a little disappointed with the rafting companies for not announcing this right away on their webpages to spread the word. Then again, I'm sure they dont want to hurt business by advertising "rock snot" being found in the primary section they run trips on

The best we can hope for now is that the effects arent too severe and that people become educated to help slow (there isn't any stopping it) the spread.

D-nymph,
That is what was strange. We stayed for an entire week and it was the same each day. But it was in August, so maybe it was just because it was so late in the year.

Heres a question about didymo/these things in general:

I usually go 2-3 weeks or so between fishing trips.  i wear waders/sandals/wading boots when i fish.  should i still clean by stuff if i know its going to be just sitting in my apartment for 3 weeks, or will any nasty invasive species still hang around on my boots for that period of time?

This may seem like a silly question but I honestly do not know the answer.  Please dont jump down my throat about it, even if it is a very ignorant question.  I want to be a responsible outdoorsmen, so this is something i should probably know. 

Accountant

Heres a question about didymo/these things in general:

I usually go 2-3 weeks or so between fishing trips.  i wear waders/sandals/wading boots when i fish.  should i still clean by stuff if i know its going to be just sitting in my apartment for 3 weeks, or will any nasty invasive species still hang around on my boots for that period of time?

This may seem like a silly question but I honestly do not know the answer.  Please dont jump down my throat about it, even if it is a very ignorant question.  I want to be a responsible outdoorsmen, so this is something i should probably know. 

Yes.  Absolutely.  If the opportunity to fish again arises before they are dried long enough to kill the bad stuff, you'll either be kicking yourself for not cleaning it, or tracking whatever is on your boots to a new location.  Sterilize the stuff and you won't have to worry about it.
 
For those who want to point fingers at the PFBC, forget about it.  Their budget has been gutted, staff has been cut and they are just struggling to stay afloat.  Blaming them for this is like blaming the school teacher for your kid getting a cold in class.
 
The reality is, the stuff is here and we need to be dilligent to slow the spread, hope for the best, and educate the general public about what is happening around them.
 
Besides, I heard it was a gas drilling pump truck that brought it here in the first place...

Hey, I'm not blaming the PFBC for bringing it here.  My point is they have been diligent about telling people not to spread it from one place to another.  It's all over their website and in the reg book.  However, one of the most used rivers in the area, and a river that is highly touted region wide by the PFBC was not monitored very well by them for the invasive species that they are preaching not to spread.  People come from all over the country just to use the river.  Again, had they monitored it a little better, and found it earlier, potentially, it may have brought up awareness to anyone wading, swimming, or boating in the Yough, and made them pay a little more attention to their gear before going elsewhere.  To me, it would make sense to monitor a high use popular waterway.  Again, I'm not getting down on the wardens, etc, rather people at the top.  Again, it would make sense to me to alot $$ to monitor such high use waterways where people from all around are putting in.  It would also make sense to me to install wash stations, like Maryland has, in popular fishing spots to help prevent the spread of the algae.  I mean to me, it is kind of baffling that it takes a visitor to notice an invasive species in such a highly touted river, that nearly perfectly fits the environment that the algae flourishes in, that's all.  Guess I'm not allowed to speak my mind?  I do pay for a fishing license and contribute money to the PFBC by doing so.  When water quality and ecological health is not monitored in potentially troublesome areas, you end up with situations like what happened to Dunkard Creek.
 
Besides, I did a little looking myself yesterday, and found that in New Zealand, this algae has taken over some of their great trout rivers.  It was the same thing as it is here.  People were afraid that it would destroy their rivers.  However, it appears that after several years of colonization in their rivers, it hasn't significantly affected anything.  Besides sliming up fishing gear, that is.  So, maybe this won't be as bad as everyone fears afterall............ Hopefully anyways.