Officials, conservation groups launch effort to stem river algae

July 14, 2007|Associated Press

WATERBURY, Vt. -- Beginning next week, state officials and conservation groups in Vermont and New Hampshire will post signs along the White River and the Connecticut River about an invasive algae that has been spotted in both, hoping to stem its spread.

The signs will appear at access points along the rivers, explaining how to properly disinfect gear and clothing of traces of the algae, Didymosphenia geminata, also known as didymo or rock snot, George Crombie, secretary of natural resources, said yesterday.

The state confirmed this week that the algae had been found in two locations, 6 miles apart, on the White River, in the towns of Royalton, Bethel, and Stockbridge. Last week, didymo was spotted in the northern reaches of the Connecticut River.

The sign-posting initiative was announced after a meeting yesterday of biologists from both states and representatives of Trout Unlimited and the White River Partnership. It was called in the wake of reports that the algae had been spotted in rivers.

One way it is spread from river to river is on the clothing and equipment of fishermen, boaters, or others who come into contact with even microscopic quantities.

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