wbuffetjr - I will post our aeration experiences/discoveries in this thread going forward. We have some, what I think to be, paradigm shifting experiments running this winter.
First, a little background to those from the North that do not know me.
All of my 16 years of experience are in waters in central MN. My three ponds and about 10 other ponds here in MN. I am not trained in fisheries. Not trained in any kind of biology. Not trained in any aspect of water management. Just a retired medical device mechanical engineer that has a love of this incredibly complicated subject of northern water aeration. If any of my statements going forward seem sweeping or over generalizing...they are not meant to be. Central MN experiences only! And has been stated in this forum numerous times over, no two BOW are alike!
Last year, with the time and the passion for science, my buddy and I started to question everything about aerating frozen bodies of water. Grid powered, solar powered, and wind driven all do the same thing. Using a compressor, air line, and bottom diffuser to facilitate the dissolving of O2 from the atmosphere into the water. These systems, as they stand today, have many limitations to the frozen waters here in MN. They are inefficient, expensive, and most importantly create a very dangerous situation (unseeable thin ice). So, our mission born in a bar room...Find a way to aerate any body of water safely and cost effective here in MN.
The biggest challenge so far, as Bill Cody posted, is there is not much documented scientific based data out there. And most of the aeration knowledge is based on southern waters. The further we have dug the more we realized the word Aeration is way too broad of a term for waters that freeze over for long periods of time. Introduction of O2 into the water is important but letting the pond "breath" is as important. We have no answers, yet, but we are at least getting some of, what we believe to be, the key questions that need answering to fulfil our mission.
Complicated and challenging to say the least! Like a lot of other subjects, the more you know, the more you realize what little you know.
Last edited by MNFISH2; 12/22/17 03:25 PM.
