SITE DESCRIPTION:
Deep Run Ponds Natural Area Preserve in Rockingham County supports one of the largest
remaining systems of Shenandoah Valley sinkhole ponds in Virginia. These natural ponds
along the western flank of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Rockingham, Augusta and Page
counties are characterized by fluctuating water levels throughout the year. Shenandoah
Valley sinkhole ponds are among Virginia's most unusual and conservation-worthy
ecosystems and support an extraordinary assemblage of rare plants and animals. The 906-acre Deep Run Ponds Natural Area Preserve protects eight sinkhole ponds, two of which
support the globally rare plant, Virginia Sneezeweed (Helenium virginicum). Other rare species here include the Black-fruited spikerush (Eleocharis melanocarpa), Northern St. John's-wort (Hypericum boreale), Brown Bog sedge (Carex buxbaumii) and Northern bog clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata).
Department of Conservation and Recreation
