Vernal Pools

On Sunday we headed out to Splash! to check out the vernal pools. My Gramma and I have been wanting to check it out for years. We even drove out one year and got lost.

If you don't know what a vernal pool is, here's a little explanation. They occur in areas where there is a layer of hard rock that prevents water from being drawn deeper in to the soil. The water stays close to the surface, and in lower depressions pools will form. These pools have tadpoles, fairy shrimp, and other small organisms. As the pools dry up the wild flowers come out. Many of the plants and the pool organisms are specific to vernal pools and can be found no where else in the world.

We will need to head out again in another week or two. With the late rain and cold weather there weren't many wildflowers out. I did get to see a lot of tadpoles though!

I don't remember what these were called.

One of the invasive species. This is all over the area.

Later in the spring the water will dry up and this will be full of flowers.