PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed three formal petitions today with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking protection for the Great Basin ramshorn snail, cinnamon juga snail, and montane peaclam under the Endangered Species Act. These critically imperiled freshwater species are found in south-central Oregon and northeastern California.

“Saving these beautiful freshwater animals means saving the beloved springs and streams where they live,” said Tara Zuardo, a senior advocate at the Center. “These critters may be small, but they play critical roles in their ecosystems. They clean streams through their feeding and then provide food to fish, birds, and other wildlife.”

Like other freshwater species facing extinction, the snails and clam have small habitats with highly restricted ranges. They’re threatened by pollution, overuse of water, warming stream temperatures because of climate change and habitat degradation from livestock grazing, agriculture, and development. Their very limited ranges make them especially vulnerable to any habitat disturbances.

All three species live in the Upper Klamath Lake. The Great Basin ramshorn and montane peaclam can also be found in the Pit River watershed in northeastern California. The cinnamon juga also lives in the Shasta River watershed and adjacent parts of the upper Sacramento River watershed in Siskiyou County.

Endangered Species Act protections would help the snails and clam by spurring monitoring, habitat protections, and the development and implementation of recovery plans. Freshwater mollusks are one of the most imperiled groups of species in the United States with two-thirds of species at risk of extinction. This reflects the degree to which people have damaged the waters we all need to survive.