Service, AGFD, and Zoo personnel collecting springsnails, Courtesy of Dave Smith, USFWS

On May 20, 2008, staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the Phoenix Zoo collected substrate, vegetation, water, and 30 Three Forks springsnails for the purpose of establishing a captive refugium for the species.  Three Forks springsnail is a candidate for Federal listing and FWS is currently preparing a proposed rule for the species.  Initially the refugium will undergo a testing phase.  If the springsnails exhibit good survivorship, a founder stock of at least 200 individuals will be brought into captivity.  The Three Forks springsnail occurs at two separate spring complexes in the White Mountains of east-central Arizona.  One site experienced a catastrophic event resulting in the near extirpation of the species from the type locality.  The refugium will allow us to protect the species from another catastrophe that could result in extinction, while providing time for interagency collaboration to develop conservation measures.