Mounds Pool 1

Mounds Pool 1 is mostly managed for birds and usually a great place to see perching birds of prey - ospreys, bald eagles, on the snag trees.  Look for ibis, egrets, herons feeding when water is low; and puddle ducks such as blue-winged teal, mallards, shovelers, and green-winged teal.  Many visitors enjoy sitting in the shade on memorial bench for Claud Hanes, Tampa Bay Audubon member who loved that site.  There is also a small, hand-launch boat ramp .

Mounds Pool 1 is flooded from Stoney Bayou 1 to a winter depth 2.3 feet, with the target for summer being 3.58 feet. It’s deep flooded in summer to produce submergent plants. If it were saltier, it could produce wigeon grass, chara, and spiny pond weed, but that’s not the case. The pool is drawn down in September to provide food for ducks until January and February.  The Fire Crew burns it prior to flooding if possible.

Mounds Pool used to be one giant pool in between the 1930’s - 1976, when federal funds from the Bicentennial Land Heritage Program provided support to improve the impoundment system at St. Marks.   Mounds Pool was subdivided into 3 pools - Mounds Pool #1, #2, and #3, which provided better capability for biologists to manage water levels, salinity, and plants in the 3 smaller pools