Vernal Pools on Fish & Wildlife Property
The State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife owns 16 acres at the east end of San Miguel Road on the north side. It is composed of two separate pieces of land, one is nine acres and the other is seven acres.
Within the past year and a half, they have installed sprinkler systems on the land and planted native plants.
Apparently, there were some low spots on the property. With this weeks' rain, there was enough water to fill those low spots creating vernal pools.
What are vernal pools?
Vernal pools are temporary, seasonal wetlands that fill with rain or melting snow in the winter and spring, then dry up completely during the summer and fall."—Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
They are called vernal pools because the word vernal comes from the Latin word vernus, which means "of the spring"
According to ArcGIS Story Maps, most vernal pools are shallow and average between 2 and 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) deep.
Vernal Pools are Protected by State and Federal Laws
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS): Oversees protections for rare endemic species living in the pools, such as the endangered San Diego fairy shrimp, Riverside fairy shrimp, and several native plant species.
Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs): The federal government partners with local entities on frameworks like the City of San Diego Vernal Pool Habitat Conservation Plan (VPHCP).
Multi-Habitat Planning Area (MHPA): Federal grants and approvals help expand and fund preserve boundaries that permanently protect vernal pool complexes from urban development.
Some of you equestrians may remember when we lost one of our trails up Mother Miguel. Fairy shrimp were discovered in a "vernal pool", a rut made by the tire of a Fish & Wildlife vehicle. The fairy shrimp were considered endangered and the horse trail was permanently closed from further use.
Having vernal pools keeps the land protected from future urban development. These vernal pools are now part of that acreage, filling with rainwater in the winter and spring and then drying up completely in the summer and fall.
Because vernal pools exist there, those 16 acres are now protected by state and federal laws from urban development.
Thank you to the Common Sense reader who provided the information for this article.
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