AERATING YOUR POND DURING THE WINTER  To run the aeration system all winter: Operating an Aeration System in freezing conditions on an ice-covered lake causes large open water areas to remain at the boil sites. Warning: ice thickness around these open areas is thinner than the ice over the remainder of the lake. Injury or fatality may result from people, snowmobiles, etc. falling through the ice. It is strongly recommended that this danger of thin ice around the boil area be clearly posted at frequent intervals. It's recommended that the Air Stations be moved to a shallower portion of the...

Thermal Stratification occurs because of the differences in density (weight) between warm and cold waters. Density depends on temperature: water is most dense (heaviest) at about 39 degrees and less dense (lighter) at warmer temperatures. In the Spring, the ice melts and surface water begins to warm up. The increasing density of the warming water along with the wind cause the surface water to sink and mix with the deeper water, this process is called “Spring turnover”. During this time, most of the lake water is at the same temperature, and surface and bottom waters mix freely. Smaller lakes or...