Vernal Pool Construction Workshop

Seasonal (vernal) pools support local and regional biodiversity by serving as important breeding grounds and habitat for wildlife, including amphibians, invertebrates, turtles, mammals, and birds. These important habitats are rapidly being lost to development, due to their small size and impermanent waters. Protection of existing pools is the highest priority in seasonal pool conservation efforts. However, due to the degradation and loss of many of these resources, restoring or creating seasonal pools may also be an effective component of a management program.

The Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, USDA Forest Service, EPA (Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment, Region III, and Office of Science Policy), and Brookside Gardens sponsored a workshop in the fall of 2004 to raise awareness of vernal pool conservation. The objectives of the workshop were to initiate a constructive dialogue between professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds (including local and state government, federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private firms), disseminate the techniques to plan and build a vernal pool, and create habitat for indicator species.

Constructed vernal pool. Photo by Wayne Davis USEPA

Tom Biebighauser, a wildlife biologist for the USDA Forest Service in Kentucky, led this workshop. Tom has restored over 700 seasonal, permanent, emergent, and forested wetlands since 1988. He recently wrote the widely distributed booklet titled "A Guide to Creating Vernal Ponds." Tom led the construction of a vernal pool in Wheaton Regional Park, MD on October 19, 2004. He began by giving the participants a brief overview of vernal pool ecology and hydrology, vernal pool conservation, and ongoing threats to vernal pools.

In the field, he demonstrated how to select locations for restoring or creating vernal pools. Due to the sandy texture of the soil from 4 feet in depth, we decided to use a liner to ensure that the pool will hold water long enough to support pool-breeding amphibians. After discussing and deciding upon the design of the pool, construction commenced.

Excavating the depression for the vernal pool. Photo by Wayne Davis USEPA

The depression was excavated using a bobcat run by an experienced operator. As the bulldozer operator worked, we assisted when possible and learned the techniques - including: shaping, grading, and landscaping. After the excavation was complete, we helped put a synthetic liner into place, replace the topsoil, set up woody debris for amphibian and reptile use, seed and plant native species, and finally, we took steps for controlling erosion.

So how did we construct a vernal pool?

See the pictures and read the narrative of how this was accomplished!

Learn more...

Copies of Tom Biebighauser's "A Guide to Creating Vernal Ponds" can be ordered (this publication is free with just a small shipping fee) from the Forest Service's website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/vernform.pdf
They can also be downloaded from the website at http://herpcenter.ipfw.edu/index.htm?http://herpcenter.ipfw.edu/outreach/VernalPonds/&2

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Vernal Pool Construction Workshop

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