This unique ecosystem is a shallow depression that is only filled with water for part of the year. The seasonal changes in this habitat support all types of wildlife; many plants and animals spend the dry season as seeds, eggs, or cysts, and then grow and reproduce when the ponds are again filled with water. Birds and small mammals like to use vernal pools as a food and water source.

Vernal Pool

Kingman Island and Heritage Island are islands in Northeast and Southeast Washington, D.C., in the Anacostia River. Both islands are man-made, built from material dredged from the Anacostia River and completed in 1916.

Vernal Pool

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About Kingman Island

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