Vernal Pools
Fort Ord National Monument Blm.gov/visit/fort-ord-national-monument
At the northern end of Fort Ord National Monument, a stone’s throw from the East Garrison housing development, you will find several vernal lakes. Sometimes. Also called vernal pools, ephemeral pools, intermittent lakes or magic lakes, they are bodies of water, some as broad as soccer fields, that are replenished by rain and can generate verdant growth. They’re like an oasis enjoyed by frogs, waterfowl, and bigger creatures that leave footprints along the muddy embankments. But after stretches of dry weather they are prone to disappear, leaving a dry lakebed of hearty grasses and plants painted with strata of the lowering water table. It’s a disappearing trick that makes their presence that much more magical.