 The State of New Mexico listed the Socorro springsnail as endangered, group 2, on March 28, 1985 (Section 17 — 2 — 37 through 17 — 2 — 46 NMSA 1978). On October 30, 1991, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also listed this species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Because of the extremely limited distribution, the recovery strategy for this species has its foundation in the maintenance of their habitat. While it is possible that additional populations might be established in other thermal springs, this possibility is contingent upon finding springs within the species ’ presumed historic range that have the physical and biologic attributes, including terrestrial habitat components, that the springsnail requires to survive, and which do not support their own endemic fauna.
