1C. Thank you. For more information on vernal pools contact the Vernal Pool Association, Massachusetts Audubon Society or the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Vernal pool in winter. Many pools fill in fall or winter. Frozen ground helps retain water produced by rains or melting.
Vernal pools are easily visible when ice-covered in the leafless forest.
Vernal pool in spring. Vernal pools contain water for a few months in the spring and early summer. This view of a pool shows a low water level in a dry spring. The greatest amount of biological activity in a pool takes place in the spring when the ice thaws. Vernal pool in summer.