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Lake Ashby In Far West Volusia County, Florida |
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| Lake Ashby, into which the ditch along Pell Road ultimately flows, was surveyed on two different dates in an attempt to determine if Pomacea insularum (d'Orbigny, 1837) from the population in the Pell Road ditch had been successful in colonizing the lake. The lake is quite large and encompasses about 1030 surface acres. During the first visit by Joel Wooster (New Smyrna Beach) on 2/1/2006 no evidence of Pomacea insularum was found. However, during a more thorough investigation by Joel Wooster and Bill Frank on 2/17/2006, the partial shells of three Pomacea insularum were found in widely separated areas within Lake Ashby Park on the northeast corner of the lake. The park is virtually the only area of the lake accessible without water transport - and also the most distant from the southern end of the lake where Pomacea insularum could have entered the lake from the Pell Road ditch. While the presence of the partial shells would normally be considered strong evidence of the species presence, the possibility that local fisherman may have transported the specimens there to use as catfish bait also cannot be discounted. | |
| Follow-up Information: On 5/9/2008 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had a crew working on a vegetation project at Lake Ashby and they observed numerous Pomacea insularum egg clutches "in most areas of the lake except the boat ramp and boardwalk areas" thus confirming the presence of the snails in the lake. A Florida Department of Environmental Protection biologist, who was accompanying the crew, indicated that the snails are also in Lake Ashby Canal leading to the St. Johns River but this information has not been verified. | |
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| Lake Ashby Park Fishing Pier/Walkway | Lake Ashby Park Beach |
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Lake Ashby Boat Ramp |
Three Partial Pomacea insularum & P. paludosa |
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