Among those wetlands that may lose protection are vernal pools, which are found throughout the Sacramento region. Witham thinks vernal pools will still be protected, but concedes that many agricultural interests and developers will disagree. Chances are that it will take years and several more lawsuits to finally flesh out the decision. Vernal pools are a kind of seasonal wetland. Shallow and bone dry most of the year, they fill with water during the winter months and in the spring come to life with native plants and often striking displays of native wildflowers.
Vernal pools are almost entirely unique to California.
They support some 70 different native plant species that are only found in vernal pool complexes. Two hundred years ago, there were some 4 million acres of vernal pools throughout the Central Valley. As of today, at least 75 percent of that has been lost, according to Witham. Before the decision, developers or others seeking to fill in wetlands for development or other purposes had to seek permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Now, that requirement will be moot in at least some cases.