Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Ice heave

We've finally got hard water. I've noticed that in the past couple of days the ice level is rising a lot. I have a deck and dock. The dock system is eazy dock and will rise up and down with the water level. It is attached to a fixed platform with a hinged gang plank. Right now, the ice is about two inches from the bottom of the fixed platform. Question - has anyone seen where the rising ice from runoff, rising groundwater, etc. has lifted a similar structure? The 4x4 posts are anchored in with concrete to about 4 foot below the pond bed. If this were to happen, it could really make a mess of things. The ice is about 6" thick and growing. I was thinking about melting the ice using an aerator, or perhaps using calcium carbonate. Any thoughts or experience in these matters would be appreciated.

Thanks - from Nebraska

An aerator would melt it quickly. you'd be amazed at how quick an aerater will cut through ice even thicker than that.

Is it possible that at least part of this is due to ice expansion? Ice volume is about 10 percent more than water so as water freezes it expands (that's why pipes with water in them can burst when the water freezes) If that's the case it would seem this would stablized after intitial expansion. Ice typically forms underneath so it shouldn't be a problem to your pier unless I'm missing something here.

My 70 foot pier is fixed and I've had up to 18 inches of ice in the past with no problems.

The main danger I have seen to piers is on bigger water where the ice shifts and puts presure on a pier on a horizontal axis. That's why most people bring their piers in on the lakes around here. I've never seen that problem on a smaller ponds though.

Sounds like a perfect place for a circulator. It would take care of the 6 inches of ice in short order.

Thanks Cecil, and Dwight. My pond is a sand pit created from gravel mining. The water level is determined by the groundwater (no contributing drainage area). My take is that the ice has formed, and as spring runoff increases from the two nearby major rivers, the groundwater is rising thus raising the ice level. I agree with the horizontal heave and that's why I've built the piers for stout. They weren't designed to be lifted, however. The structure has gotten through one winter and everything is in tact. It's just that this year, the water (ice) level has come up much sooner this year, and is almost touching the bottom decking.

Any additional thoughts? I agree with the aerator, and have a nice portable pump, and available power supply on the dock. It's about six foot deep at the end of the platform, so I think I will get out the ice auger, punch a hole, and drop an air line. I don't think I will worry about a diffusser. I'll put a brick on the end and drop the air line down the hole. Can't hurt, and this may avoid lifting the platform. Another two months and we'll be looking at spring thaw...

Bad Boy- The open hose should open an area but it may not be large enough to encompass your entire dock.

If you find that to be true, you may want to pull that hose up and add a diffuser to it even if it is a single stone diffuser. This will spread the smaller bubbles out to entrain more water for circulation.

This summer you may want to look into a circulator attached to your dock to prevent any future worries. Here are some pics of circulators attached to a dock doing a great job of deicing.

Please note that all of these properties mark very clearly the danger of open water. We don't want anyone to get hurt on or lakes!

Thanks Cary. That is really cool, and would certainly ease my concerns.

Couldn't help but notice on one of Cary's pictures that even though there's a large sign on the pier warning of open water there are snowmobile tracks going right through the water! That's what I worry about. Someone decides to tresspass and cut across my pond on their snow mobile. Splash!

I asked my customer about that, they said those were actually their traks prior to running the circulator.

If you notice, one customer flagged the area along with the sign.