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Invasive mud snails tiny, but pose risk for local streams
Bannon tabbed next BDA leader
BY CELINA KAREIVA BELLEVUE REPORTER
Kit Paulsen plunges her hand into a stream of cold water. She pulls up a yellow leaf and draws it closer to the camera, pointing to several brownish-black specks. The shells, shaped like ice cream cones, range in size from a grain of sand, to one-fifth an inch. They’re New Zealand mud snails, says Paulsen, a Watershed Planning Supervisor of Bellevue Utilities. “Once mud snails are in a stream, there’s nothing we can do to get rid of them. They’re there,” explained Paulsen. “They have no natural predators that keep them in balance.” New Zealand mud snails, an invasive species barely the size of a pin-head, were first identified in Kelsey and Valley creeks in August. Though tiny, mud snails are known to reproduce at a rapid pace, damaging a fragile ecosystem as they multiply. The risk, says Paulsen, is twofold. Mud snails may compete with other native species for food resources and when ingested, they cause fish to lose weight. Their petite, hard shells make them difficult to digest, often passing through the fish unharmed. Paulsen explains that fish may digest high volumes of the mud snails, but gain very little nutritional value. In a study conducted on rainbow trout, 91 percent of the mud snails passed through intact, and 50 percent survived digestion. The long-term consequences are unknown. “It’s difficult to understand what the effects are…There’s very little money out there to do research,” said Allen Pleus of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “In many invasive species, it can take decades and sometimes up to a century [to see the harm done].” Mud snails were first found in Olympia’s Capitol Lake in 2009, but the nature of the infestation made them much easier to control. The lake was closed down and fencing put up in some public areas. The following year it was drained and filled with saltwater in an attempt to kill off the species. Kelsey Creek poses a more complicated risk. “When dealing with Kelsey or Thornton Creek, your ability to actively manage the snail is basically nonexistent at this point,” said Pleus. “In an urban landscape, it’s very difficult to contain those systems.” The snails have no natural predators and can tolerate a range of climates, temperatures and water qualities, making
(Top) Kit Paulsen checks mud snails at Valey Creek. (Below) The impact of the snails is seen on leaves. COURTESY PHOTOS, City of Bellevue them particularly difficult to eradicate. According to the WDFW website, snails can reproduce so quickly that after four years in an environment a population of 2.7 billion may exist. Paulsen says that the mud snails were likely spread by humans — hitchhiking on pets or clothing, or on the gear of researchers and staff involved in the restoration and scientific work conducted along both waterways. But while it is too early to assess the effects of this invasive species, Paulsen maintains a cautionary tone. The snails have already spread at an alarming rate and they could complicate the city’s salmon recovery efforts. “When you have a species that’s endangered or threatened, they’re already highly susceptible to minor changes in their environment,” explained Pleus. In the meantime, both Paulsen and Pleus agree that the best approach is education and outreach with residents. The resilient snails can live for weeks on damp gear, so she suggests avoiding entering streams, when possible. Clothing should be thoroughly scrubbed down after exiting any body of water. And gear should be rinsed and allowed to dry for 48 hours or more.
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Patrick Bannon, vice president of communications and public affairs for the Bellevue Downtown Association (BDA), has been named president of the BDA. Brian Brand, BDA board chair, announced on Tuesday that Bannon will take on the new role Jan. 2, 2013. Bannon succeeds Leslie Lloyd, who recently accepted a position as executive director for the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts in Leavenworth. Lloyd will remain at the BDA through Jan. 31 as an advisor to Bannon and staff during the transition. Brand chaired the BDA’s eight-member hiring committee during a two-month national search. They selected and interviewed candidates from a pool of more than 50 applicants. In announcing Bannon’s selection, Brand stated: “I am very pleased that the BDA executive committee has selected Patrick Bannon to serve as the president of the Bellevue Downtown Association,” Brand said. “As a past committee chairman and the 2012 board chair, I have had the privilege of working closely with Patrick for the past five years. Patrick Bannon I know that Patrick is extremely talented and dedicated. As president, Patrick will bring a continuity of leadership, and his substantial abilities in community advocacy will further elevate the BDA’s work in support of Downtown Bellevue and the Eastside.” Bannon brings more than 17 years of organizational leadership and public affairs experience to the position. He joined the BDA in 2005 as communications manager and has since led key advocacy, member engagement and community relations initiatives. Before joining the BDA, Bannon served for 10 years as an account executive for public relations agencies in the Seattle and Los Angeles markets. “The BDA is in great shape thanks to a shared vision, talented team and dedicated members,” Bannon said. “Together, we plan to build on this success with strategies to keep our vibrant downtown thriving and growing as a strong center for the city and region.” Bannon holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Pepperdine University and is a graduate of Leadership Eastside’s three-year enrichment program. He and his wife Sunni have lived on the Eastside since 1999. They currently reside in Kirkland with their two children. Established in 1974, the Bellevue Downtown Association is the convening nonprofit organization for downtown leadership, advocacy and promotion. The BDA has more than 250 members who support downtown’s growth and evolution as the economic and cultural heart of the Eastside.
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