This is my first post so I have to get the "I love the magazine" out of the way. A friend gave me a subscription and I look forward to getting it every month where I promptly read it in one day and have to spend the rest of the month waiting for the next issue. The question is this- should I aerate in the winter time. I am sure this has been asked many times before but I have never until today got on this site. My pond is about 25 acres with a max depth of about 20 feet and I would say an overall average of about 7 feet. I did not know if you want to have the warmer water mixing with the upper colder water in the winter and if aeration has any positive effects in the winter. I live in the center of Indiana so we get some pretty cold days in the winter time. Any help would be appreciated.

Stout, welcome to PB and I am like you, always waiting for the mag. to get to the mail box. 25-acres in my book is more of a lake than a pond...you are lucky to have such a large water body!

Even though we are nearing the end of the year, the requirement for oxygen does not stop during winter. The Dissolved Oxygen within a water body can experience large daily fluctuations.

Aquatic plants and algae produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis by day. But at night, they consume oxygen through respiration. Productive Lakes, lakes with large populations of aquatic plants or algae are likely to experience the greatest DO fluctuations. In such lakes, the DO concentration is usually lowest just before sunrise, and highest in late afternoon.

If a lake should freeze over, this production of oxygen through photosynthesis still occurs. But, if a snow storm should occur, the sunlight is blocked and resembles night time under the ice. Respiration and oxygen consumption continues until sunlight is reestablished. An aeration system will keep a hole open in the ice during winter ensuring sun light penetration and oxygen production.

The good news is that it does not require as many diffusers during winter aeration activities as it does during summer aeration. The objective is to simply open a hole in the ice to allow the gasses like Hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide escape while allowing the sunlight to penetrate through at the same time.

You could even help by simply pushing any snow off the ice so the sun can penetrate the ice too.