CONSERVATION STRATEGY FOR SPRINGSNAILS IN NEVADA AND UTAH Prepared by: Museum of Northern Arizona Springs Stewardship Institute 3101 N. Ft. Valley Rd. Flagstaff, AZ 86001 [email protected] Prepared for: The Nevada-Utah Springsnail Conservation Team Nevada Department of Wildlife and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Version 1.0, 1 26 August 2020 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The effort to conserve springsnails and their habitats requires foresight, accord, patience, and cooperation among many agencies, Tribes, organizations, and the public, all of whom share responsibility in supporting and accomplishing this difficult task. This Springsnail Conservation Strategy is the result of close collaboration among the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the Nevada Division of Natural Heritage, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We also thank the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service for supporting and contributing to this effort. We thank the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff for administrative oversight, and the staff of MNA’s Springs Stewardship Institute for project coordination. In addition, we thank Dan Campbell, Peter Hovingh, Hsiu- Ping Liu, and Don Sada for expert advisement and editing early drafts of this report. We also thank countless others who contributed time and energy to this effort through the Springsnail Conservation Team (SCT) and externally. The Conservation Strategy for Springsnails in Nevada and Utah was prepared by the Springs Stewardship Institute for the SCT. The SCT provided valuable information, discussion, and editorial guidance throughout the development of this document, with focused collaboration by the following: Bureau of Land Management: Ali Helmig, Justin Jimenez, Corey Lange, Cassie Mellon, Sarah Peterson, Elin Pierce, and JA Vacca Museum of Northern Arizona Springs Stewardship Institute: Larry Stevens, with the assistance of Andrea Hazelton, Jeff Jenness, Jeri Ledbetter, Brianna Mann, and especially Alek Mendoza National Park Service: Mark Sappington and John Wullschleger Natural Resource Conservation Service: Matthew Phillippi Nevada Department of Wildlife: Chris Crookshanks, Kevin Guadalupe, and Jon Sjöberg Natural Resources Conservation Service: Matthew Phillippi and Clayton Schmitz Nevada Division of Natural Heritage: Eric Miskow and Kristin Szabo The Nature Conservancy: Sarah Byer, Laurel Saito, and Elaine York US Fish and Wildlife Service: Susan Abelel, Annalaura Averill-Murray, Sue Braumiller, Lee Ann Carranza, Corey Kallstrom, Chad Mellison, Jeri Sjoberg (retired), and George Weekly US Forest Service: John McCann, Cynthia Tait (retired), and Rachael VanHorne Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: Paul Badame, Erin Bertram, Drew Dittmer, Kate Holcomb, George Oliver, Kevin Wheeler, and Krissy Wilson (retired) CITATION Springsnail Conservation Team. 2020. Conservation Strategy for Springsnails in Nevada and Utah, Version 1.0. Nevada Department of Wildlife, Reno, and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City. 2 Table of Contents Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Glossary ............................................................... 5 Abbreviations and Acronyms ...............................................................................................5 Glossary ...............................................................................................................................6 Executive Summary ............................................................................................. 10 1. Introduction, Purpose, Goals, Objectives, and Criteria ................................... 11 Introduction .......................................................................................................................11 Purpose..............................................................................................................................14 Goals .................................................................................................................................14 Objectives, Strategies, Actions, and Criteria ......................................................................14 2. Springsnail Evolution and Taxonomy .............................................................. 19 Springsnail Evolutionary History .......................................................................................19 Higher Taxonomy ..............................................................................................................20 Springsnail Species ............................................................................................................21 3. Geography and Landscape Context ................................................................. 32 Nevada and Utah Geography ............................................................................................32 Climate ..............................................................................................................................33 Land Management ............................................................................................................34 Springs Ecosystems ............................................................................................................34 Springs Ecosystem Types ...................................................................................................37 Springs Ecohydrology ........................................................................................................38 Ecological Characteristics of Springs .................................................................................38 4. Springsnail Ecology .......................................................................................... 40 Overview ...........................................................................................................................40 Habitat Requirements .......................................................................................................40 Abundance and Population Size ........................................................................................44 Diet and Feeding ...............................................................................................................45 Reproduction .....................................................................................................................45 Ecological Roles .................................................................................................................47 Associated Native Species .................................................................................................47 Population Linkage/Connectivity ......................................................................................47 5. Threat and Stressor Risk Assessment .............................................................. 48 Overview ...........................................................................................................................48 Habitat Degradation .........................................................................................................49 Over-use for Scientific, Educational, or Personal Collections .............................................54 Biological Factors ..............................................................................................................55 Other Factors .....................................................................................................................62 3 6. Conservation Program..................................................................................... 64 Introduction .......................................................................................................................64 Objective 1: Information Acquisition and Management....................................................64 Objective 2 – Identify, Assess, and Reduce Threats ...........................................................66 Objective 3: Conserve Habitats to Ensure Species Persistence...........................................72 Objective 4 – SCT Organization and Coordination .............................................................73 Objective 5: Education and Outreach for Springsnail Conservation ..................................75 7. Conclusions...................................................................................................... 76 References Cited ................................................................................................. 77 Appendices .......................................................................................................... 94 Appendix A: Summary Reports on Springsnail Species in Nevada and Utah ...... 95 Appendix B: Recommended Springsnail Inventory, Monitoring, and Collecting Protocols ............................................................................................................. 96 Introduction .......................................................................................................................96 Survey Equipment ..............................................................................................................98 Tier 1 Monitoring ...............................................................................................................98 Tier 2 Monitoring ...............................................................................................................98 Tier 3 Monitoring