Winter Pond Aeration: to Aerate or Not to Aerate
Aeration systems provide benefits to pond water quality, fish production capacity, fish kill prevention, suppression of some aquatic weed species and prolongation of the pond’s lifespan, Scott Jones, Extension small impoundment specialist, Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries at the University of Diffused aeration systems are designed to push streams of bubbles from the bottom of the pond to the surface, creating circulation and injecting oxygen throughout. This circulation prevents thermal layers from developing, he said. Water is most dense at about 39°F. Water warmer or cooler than that will rise to, or stay near, the surface.