Flag Pond Community
The flag pond community is the central wet area of the Slough. This interior portion is usually under water year round and has a number of depressions, or flag ponds, within it. Travel for aquatic animals is easy through this area since the flag ponds are connected through a series of flow-ways.
This community gets its name from the tall, broad-leafed plants that dominate the area, called fireflag or alligator flag. The dense growth of the fireflag provides a habitat for a variety of fish and other animal life.
As the water in the ponds recedes during the dry season, fish become concentrated in smaller and smaller areas. This concentration provides wading birds with an easily obtainable food source that is needed in large amounts to help feed themselves and their young.
