Conservation Strategy for Springsnails in Nevada and Utah

Springsnails, tiny mollusks generally just a few millimeters in size, are often highly endemic to individual spring ecosystems. More than 180 species of springsnails have been described in North America, but they are particularly diverse in arid Nevada and Utah, where at least 103 species have been identified. Unfortunately, this endemism makes individual springsnail species vulnerable to extinction due to the vulnerability of springs to human and natural disturbance.

To help conserve springsnails and the springs on which they rely, state agencies of Nevada and Utah along with federal agencies and The Nature Conservancy signed the Springsnail Conservation Agreement in 2018. The Agreement aims to protect the 103 species of springsnails and their habitats in the two states, hopefully avoiding future federal listing of these species.

The Springsnail Conservation Team, comprised of agreement signatories, was tasked with development and implementation of a Conservation Strategy, a comprehensive and proactive 10-year plan released in 2020 that coodinates efforts to monitor, prioritize, and report on springsnail conservation progress over the life of the Agreement. The objectives of the Agreement cover compilation of ecological data, threat identification and reduction, habitat maintenance and restoration, and an education/outreach program.

SSI assisted the Springsnail Conservation Team (SCT) in developing the Conservation Strategy for Springsnails in Utah and Nevada, to safeguard the existing springsnail species richness and diversity. SSI also continues to assist the Springsnail Conservation Team to evaluate the status of springsnail species annually through an adaptive management framework to assess program progress.

Learn more about the proactive steps towards springsnail conservation that SSI has helped facilitate by clinking the links below.