Ashpits Pond and Pwll Lagoon

Additional Information

Formerly used as settling lagoons for pulverised fuel ash from the now demolished Carmarthen Bay Power Station. Ashpits Pond is an important area for breeding wetland birds and the area of reed surrounding the pond provides shelter for breeding and resting birds. Mute swan, mallard, tufted duck, little grebe, great crested grebe, coot and moorhen all breed here. Reed warbler, sedge warbler and reed bunting breed in the reed beds, whilst the rare Cetti’s warbler is found in the willow carr. Water rail and pochard occur in winter. Pwll Lagoon forms a wet woodland and fen community particularly rich in plant life. An interesting feature of the site is the presence of both lime-loving and lime-hating species growing close together. This occurs because the pulverised fuel ash is initially very alkaline. Six species of rush including the localised blunt-flowered rush are found here. Ragged-robin, purple loosestrife and southern marsh-orchid grow along with common reed. More open areas of fen are covered with sedges, such as false fox-sedge whilst there are also populations of lesser centaury and common sundew. Within the birch-willow woodland acidophile plants occur such as royal fern and lemon-scented fern.