This season is based on when agricultural crops grow and so is irrelevant to the life cycles of vernal pool plants and animals, which usually start growing very early in the spring. The real issue with vernal pools and wetlands is that we tend to look at this as if there is no relationship between a pool and the rest of the ecosystem. But amphibians also use uplands. Vernal pools and other wetlands fall under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers, a branch of the federal government historically dedicated to maintaining navigable waters in the U.S. Over the years, the Corps' jurisdiction has crept upstream and it now includes wetlands and headwaters. Legal status aside, ignorance can play a large part in vernal pool destruction.
Many landowners are simply unaware that the pools exist at all, let alone on their land.
People may not recognize what a unique habitat they've got. They're not just mosquito holes. Vernal pools must be identified before they can be protected. Full vernal pools are relatively easy to find, and once you know what you're looking for, you can even find dry basins. Another clue that a low lying area is a dry vernal pool basin is that the leaf litter is blackened and compressed rather than light brown and loose.