Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat how deep to prevent winterkill

We northerners who have extended ice cover would appreciate it if you would come back here and keep us informed as to how well the snow removal is working to prevent winterkill in your pond situation. I think if you do not let deep snow (greater than 3"-4") cover remain on your pond for longer than 2 weeks you will have minimal problems with winter kill. When removing snow cover try to remove about 15% to 25% of the snow for light penetration through the ice to stimulate underwater plant photosynthesis. I typically remove snow in 3'-6'wide strips length wise on the pond. For your narrow pond, clear one strip along each side over water about 4'-6' deep and one strip down the middle. It will also work okay if you just clear a larger rectangular area for ice skating.