Mount Joy Pond Natural Area Preserve

Mount Joy Pond Natural Area Preserve
Mount Joy Pond Natural Area Preserve
Location	Augusta County, Virginia
Coordinates	37°56′08″N 79°09′03″W / 37.9355°N 79.1509°W
Area	359 acres (1.45 km2)
Governing body	Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Mount Joy Pond Natural Area Preserve is a 359-acre (1.45 km²) Natural Area Preserve located in Augusta County, Virginia in the United States. Located on the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it supports a large population of the rare Virginia sneezeweed (Helenium virginicum). This and other plants are associated with a large sinkhole pond, the centerpiece of the property; fewer than two dozen such ponds remain in Augusta and neighboring Rockingham County. Much of the surrounding landscape consists of hardwoods and pines.^[2]

As of 2016^[update], property managers are investigating why and how the sinkhole pond goes dry by early fall, despite historical photo evidence that the pond formerly retained water longer into the season. Management of the surrounding forestland, including thinning and prescribed burning, was planned with the goal of restoring the property's original hydrology.^[3]

The preserve is owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. It does not include improvements for public access, and visitors must make arrangements with a state-employed land steward prior to visiting.^[2]

References

^ "Mount Joy Pond Natural Area Preserve". The Conservation Tax Center. Resources First Foundation. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Mount Joy Pond Natural Area Preserve". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
^ Middleton, Leslie (October 6, 2016). "Preserve walks celebrate VA Natural Heritage Program's 30th year". Bay Journal. Retrieved December 21, 2016.