Rock Snot found in Batten Kill

• An invasive algae considered a serious threat to Vermont's trout fishery has been spotted in the state's landmark fly-fishing trout river, the Batten Kill.
• State officials said Monday that a small amount of the invasive algae Didymo, nicknamed rock snot, has been discovered in the upper Batten Kill, which winds south from Dorset through Manchester and Arlington and then heads west into New York. It also recently has been found in the upper Connecticut and White rivers.
• This is the first time that the algae, which clogs the river bottom and smothers aquatic life, has been found in the Batten Kill, long considered one of Vermont's prime fisheries for native brown trout, as well as a popular river for paddlers and tubers.
• Brad Wright, the information specialist for the agency, said Monday state officials are very concerned about the discovery, especially since it comes one year after their counterparts in New York found a two-mile-long bloom of the algae on the New York side of the river.