We are snow/ice bound in winter's grip and so is our pond, which is about 1/3 acre here in northern OH. We have had the aerator going 24/7 for about the last 3 weeks. There is about 6" of snow on our pond. The aerator is still doing its job - however it can barely keep up with this frigid weather. The ice free "hole" is now about 4' and if this weather, continues, we fear it will close completely. Would it help if we shoveled off the snow around the edges of the pond to let some light shine in ( although the sun is rather anemic )? How can we make a new hole in the ice if the present one freezes over? With the aerator on, we dare note venture more than a foot off shore - not knowing the thickness of the ice.
We did all the winter prep work ie scraping out the leaves - taking care of decaying plant life before the pond froze, however, I still worry about the loss of o2. Should we leave the aerator on even if the whole pond freezes over? Thanks for all suggestions and help.
