Discovery of Invasive Crayfish in Willamette River Drainage Concerns Oregon

By Vanessa Torres

Oregon -(Ammoland.com)- Ringed crayfish have successfully invaded many rivers and streams in southern Oregon, but were just found in Lane County’s Row River.

This is the first discovery of this species in the Willamette River drainage.

“To find Ringed crayfish in the upper end of the Willamette Basin is very alarming to us,” said Jeff Ziller, South Willamette Watershed District Fish Biologist. “Ringed crayfish have been found to outcompete our native Signal crayfish for habitat and food. The non-native ringed crayfish dominate the crayfish populations in the Rogue, Chetco and Umpqua rivers, so this is bad news for Signal crayfish here in the Willamette system.

While on a recreational dive in late September, a U.S. Forest Service employee discovered two Ringed crayfish below the falls at Wildwood Falls Park on the Row River. With assistance from the USFS, the Coast Fork Watershed Council, and student volunteers, ODFW biologists conducted a presence/absence survey by placing numerous crayfish traps below and above the initial discovery site and some tributaries of the Row …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand