Murphy's Pond (sometimes referred to as Murphy Pond) is a wetlands complex located in Hickman County, Kentucky. While only about 175 acres (71 hectares) in size, the pond is notable for being one of the largest bald cypress swamps remaining in Kentucky and for its high cottonmouth snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus) population density.
To protect the pond from the effects of surrounding commercial development, the pond and its immediate surroundings were added to the 1,402 acres (567 hectares) Obion Creek Wildlife Management Area[1] by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves in 2005, forming the Obion Creek and Murphy's Pond State Nature Preserve, which further grew to 1,601 acres (648 hectares) in 2007.[2][3] The pond itself is owned and managed by Murray State University, located 30 miles east in Murray, Kentucky. Murray State acquired the property in 1975 with a grant from The Nature Conservancy.[citation needed] Access to the pond is restricted for scientific research purposes only and requires written permission from the university. Students seeking a degree in fisheries or aquatic biology at Murray State use the pond for field investigations.
Murphy's Pond is mostly swampland, with only small sections of open water. The pond and the surrounding lowlands, formed by Obion Creek and its tributaries, support one of the highest concentrations of cottonmouths in the United States. The pond is near the northernmost point of the snake's range.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Obion Creek Wildlife Management Area". Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.
- ^ "Kentucky's Largest Swamp". Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet. October 13, 2005. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ "Obion Creek and Murphy's Pond State Nature Preserve". Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.
- ^ Crawford, Byron (1994). Kentucky Stories. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company. pp. 23–25.