A beautiful lake or pond is a valuable addition to the landscape of a country property. Watching ducks and geese swim or catching fish are great family activities. But your water feature can turn into a scummy, algae-filled eye-sore if the water doesn’t have enough oxygen. One way to prevent this is through lake aeration.
Turnover
If a lake or pond is not getting enough oxygen it can turnover. What this means is that the top four to six feet of water actually flips over causing fish to die and the oxygen in the water to be depleted. Turnover happens because of temperature changes and can occur naturally in the fall. This is a slow turnover and doesn’t cause a problem, but rapid turnovers in the summer are another matter. The way to prevent this phenomenon is through lake aeration.
Surface Aeration
Aeration means bringing the water into contact with the air and one way to do that is by installing a fountain. This not only aerates the water but it is attractive. A fountain adds visual beauty and a pleasing sound to the pond or lake environment. Surface aeration alone often doesn’t solve the problem, however.
Subsurface Aeration
This method of introducing oxygen into the water works from the bottom of the lake or pond. This addresses problems that surface aeration can’t. When excess nutrients enter the water through fertilizer run-off or feeding the fish, those nutrients often sink to the bottom where they begin anaerobic decomposition causing a rotten egg smell. Subsurface aeration introduces more oxygen allowing the nutrients to break down faster and eliminating the unpleasant odor.
The best system of lake or pond aeration is a combination of surface and subsurface methods. A fountain combined with lake bottom technology is attractive and effective. If you are having issues with algae growth, fish kills and bad smells in your lake or pond, explore what an aeration system can do for you.
