# Machynys Ponds

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{{Short description|Protected area in Carmarthenshire, Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox SSSI
|name=Machynys Ponds
|image=
|image_caption=
|aos=Carmarthenshire
|displaymap=Wales Carmarthenshire
|interest=
|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|SS512980}}
|coordinates = {{coord|51.660996|-4.151552|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
|area={{convert|6.4|ha|sigfig=2}}
|notifydate=1987
|enref=
}}
'''Machynys Ponds''' ({{langx|cy|Pyllau Machynys}}) is a [Site of Special Scientific Interest](/source/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest) (SSSI) in [Carmarthenshire](/source/Carmarthenshire), Wales, designated in 1993 for its [botanical](/source/botany) features.<ref name="magic">{{cite web| url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?chosenLayers=sssiwalPIndex,sssiwalIndex,backdropDIndex,backdropIndex,europeIndex,vmlBWIndex,25kBWIndex,50kBWIndex,250kBWIndex,miniscaleBWIndex,baseIndex&box=248971:197063:252731:199114&useDefaultbackgroundMapping=false|title=MAGIC Map Application – Machynys Ponds|website=DEFRA MAGIC Map|publisher=[DEFRA](/source/Department_for_Environment%2C_Food_and_Rural_Affairs)}}</ref><ref name="Citation">{{cite web|title=Site of Special Scientific Interest, Carmarthenshire, Machynys Ponds|url=https://naturalresources.wales/media/635932/SSSI_0126_Citation_EN001eafe.pdf|publisher=Natural Resources Wales}}</ref>

==SSSI==
Machynys Ponds SSSI is located approximately {{convert|1|mi}} to the south-east of [Llanelli](/source/Llanelli) and immediately to the east of the village of [Machynys](/source/Machynys). The site is approximately {{convert|0.25|mi}} inland from the north bank of the [River Loughor](/source/River_Loughor) estuary, covers {{convert|6.4|ha}} and is {{convert|15|m}} above sea-level.<ref name="magic"/><ref name="Citation"/>

The SSSI comprises four [pond](/source/pond)s, one large and to the east, three smaller, connected by [fen-carr](/source/Carr_(landform)) hosting willow and scrub. The site is designated for its standing-water and swamp habitats, which are of interest of themselves, but also support a diverse and rich species mix. Of special note, and an additional reason for designation, is the presence of 14 species of [dragonfly](/source/dragonfly) and [damselfly](/source/damselfly) found at the ponds.

The ponds are situated on a [glacial](/source/glacier) [terminal moraine](/source/terminal_moraine) – debris at the front of a glacier – which forms the Machynys Peninsula. They are flooded [clay pit](/source/clay_pit)s, dug to supply local 19th century brickworks and inundated in a great storm in 1896, and are in part of interest for the habitats that have formed in the decades since their creation.<ref name="Citation"/>

The large pond is populated with spiked water-milfoil (''[Myriophylium spicatum](/source/Myriophylium_spicatum)''), Canadian waterweed (''[Elodea canadensis](/source/Elodea_canadensis)''), yellow-flowered fringed water-lily (''[Nymphoides peltata](/source/Nymphoides_peltata)''), and beds of bulrush (''[Typha latifolia](/source/Typha_latifolia)''), common reed (''[Phragmites australis](/source/Phragmites_australis)''),  sea club-rush (''[Scirpus maritimus](/source/Scirpus_maritimus)'') and grey club-rush  (''[Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani](/source/Schoenoplectus_tabernaemontani)''). The pond provides a habitat and breeding ground for a variety of waterfowl such as the [mute swan](/source/mute_swan), [tufted duck](/source/tufted_duck), [coot](/source/coot) and [dabchick](/source/Little_grebe). Other avians species nesting at the pond include [gadwall](/source/gadwall), [water rail](/source/water_rail), [reed warbler](/source/reed_warbler), [sedge warbler](/source/sedge_warbler), [reed bunting](/source/reed_bunting) and other [passerine](/source/passerine)s.<ref name="Citation"/>
  
The three smaller ponds are more shallow – one sufficiently so to dry up in times of low rainfall. They host rushes (''[Juncaceae](/source/Juncaceae)'') and bulrush,  water mint (''[Mentha aquatica](/source/Mentha_aquatica)''), false fox-sedge (''[Carex otrubae](/source/Carex_otrubae)''), great willowherb (''[Epilobium hirsutum](/source/Epilobium_hirsutum)''), common fleabane (''[Pulicaria dysenterica](/source/Pulicaria_dysenterica)''), gipsywort (''[Lyccous europaeus](/source/Lyccous_europaeus)''), branched bur-reed (''[Sparganium erectum](/source/Sparganium_erectum)''), common marsh-bedstraw (''[Galium palusrre](/source/Galium_palusrre)''), and water-plantain (''[Alisma plantago-aquatica](/source/Alisma_plantago-aquatica)''). Two species, parsley water-dropwort  (''[Oenanthe lachenalii](/source/Oenanthe_lachenalii)'') and sea club-rush indicate [brackish water](/source/brackish_water).<ref name="Citation"/>

More shallow areas of the ponds contain mare's-tail (''[Hippuris vulgaris](/source/Hippuris_vulgaris)'') and lesser water-parsnip (''[Berula erecta](/source/Berula_erecta)''), grey willow (''[Salix cinerea](/source/Salix_cinerea)''); various-leaved water-starwort (''[Callitriche platycarpa](/source/Callitriche_platycarpa)''), brackish water-crowfoot (''[Ranunculus baudotii](/source/Ranunculus_baudotii)'') and stonewort (''[Chara vuloaris](/source/Chara_vuloaris)'').<ref name="Citation"/>

Amongst the dragonfly fauna of the site are the fenland hairy dragonfly (''Brachytron pratense''), the black-tailed skimmer (''Orthetrum cancellatum''), the ruddy darter (''Symtetrum sanguineum''), and the migrant hawker (''Aeshna mixta''). The site also hosts a diversity of [beetle](/source/beetle) and [fly](/source/fly) species, and the profile of invertebrates found at the ponds is found to be related to ponds of south and south-east England.<ref name="Citation"/>

==See also==
*[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthenshire](/source/List_of_Sites_of_Special_Scientific_Interest_in_Carmarthenshire)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*SSSI information from [Natural Resources Wales](/source/Natural_Resources_Wales):
**[https://naturalresources.wales/media/635932/SSSI_0126_Citation_EN001eafe.pdf SSSI Citation]
**''[https://naturalresources.wales/media/635964/SSSI_0126_SMS_EN001c1e9.pdf Your Special Site and its Future]''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160531171643/https://data.nbn.org.uk/Reports/Sites/GA000338126/Groups Species groups] – [National Biodiversity Network](/source/National_Biodiversity_Network)
*[http://www.llanellinaturalists.org.uk/index.php/May-1995-No-1/the-llanelli-levels.html Machynys Ponds] in ''The Llanelli Levels'', Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter No.1 May 1995
*Maps: 
**[https://naturalresources.wales/media/635937/SSSI_0126_Map0012300.pdf SSSI Citation map]
**[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?chosenLayers=sssiwalPIndex,sssiwalIndex,backdropDIndex,backdropIndex,europeIndex,vmlBWIndex,25kBWIndex,50kBWIndex,250kBWIndex,miniscaleBWIndex,baseIndex&box=248971:197063:252731:199114&useDefaultbackgroundMapping=false MAGIC map] – [DEFRA](/source/Department_for_Environment%2C_Food_and_Rural_Affairs)
**[https://web.archive.org/web/20160512193019/https://data.nbn.org.uk/imt/?boundary=GA000338#0-4.179,51.652,-4.127,51.671!4L9,ha3KU!4KT,9h6w/ NBN Gateway map] - National Biodiversity Network

Category:Ponds of Europe
Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Carmarthen & Dinefwr

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Machynys Ponds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machynys_Ponds) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machynys_Ponds?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.