A new invasive species has arrived in New England and could appear soon in a river near you.

But, based on the descriptions coming out of Vermont and New Hampshire, let’s hope not.

Agencies in those states are warning anglers about an invasive freshwater algae known as didymo or, more descriptively, rock snot. It’s been found in the northern reaches of the Connecticut River and in the White River, the first official reports of Didymosphenia geminata in the northeastern United States.

Didymo is a microscopic algae that blooms into thick, white or light brown mats that can cover several miles of river bottom. It’s also been called toilet paper algae because it can resemble strands of soaked toilet paper.

It is considered a threat to wild trout and other river inhabitants and there’s no known way to remove it once it shows up. State officials in Vermont are warning anglers that the algae can be spread on their clothes, waders and fishing gear from one stream to another.

It has not been detected in any Maine rivers, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.

The descriptions from Vermont sound a lot like a sticky, toilet paper-like substance that covered the bottom of Lords Brook in Lyman on and off during the past year and a half. That growth, however, was identified as a fungus that’s native to the stream, according to the DEP. Officials believe the Lords Brook fungus bloomed because of nutrient-rich stormwater runoff from a nearby composting operation.

Look here and here for news stories about the Vermont invasion.

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