Southeast ponds and freeze threat

[Mmathis]

I'm glad you chimed in on this one @Mmathis as this is your zone. I was going to say 6 or 8 inches of ice would never happen, but didn't want to promise anything that might not be true!

Well, in our neck of the woods.....one can never be 100% sure of anything, LOL! Ten or 15 years ago, maybe, yes, there could have been a freeze issue for very shallow bodies of water, but no way we’d ever see a cold spell that lasted long enough for a 6”-8” freeze. Our “cold snaps” are brief — maybe 3 or 4 days at the most — then we’re back up into the 50’s/60’s range. It’s funny to me now, looking back, but my 1st year with the pond.....you guys had me convinced that mine was going to freeze solid. Until I realized....

 

[Lisak1]

my 1st year with the pond.....you guys had me convinced that mine was going to freeze solid. Until I realized....

haha! That's why I wondered if @Alapondguy knew something I didn't... maybe water was different there!

 

[EricV]

I think I get about 6-8" in the brutal Illinois winters. It takes prolonged spells with a high below 20 degrees to do that. Ice is an excellent insulator. Once it starts to form, it takes more and more cold to extend it downwards.

 

[Lisak1]

Once it starts to form, it takes more and more cold to extend it downwards.

I never thought about that, but it makes sense! It definitely insulates and also prevents evaporation. We had more days of open water this winter than we ever have and I've had to top off the pond 4 or 5 times since December - not fun! Give me an ice cap any day!

 

[Mmathis]

I never thought about that, but it makes sense! It definitely insulates and also prevents evaporation. We had more days of open water this winter than we ever have and I've had to top off the pond 4 or 5 times since December - not fun! Give me an ice cap any day!

At least a cover of ice would keep the leaves out, LOL!. We have crazy trees that hold onto and dump about a third of their “fall” leaves in Dec/January. Weird!

 

[Mmathis]

@Alapondguy I hope I haven’t scared you off! Didn’t mean to hijack your thread. Yes, during my first pond-winter (6 seasons ago?), I really did believe that my pond would do exactly what a Northern pond would do — freeze solid.

I went for about 3-1/2’ feet deep for 2 reasons: 1) to keep the pond from getting too hot in the summer, and 2) to give the fishies some depth for when it froze. While the freezing never happpened, the heat has been an issue. I have to put up shade sails around July. My water temp. climbs into the 90’s, and THAT scares me!

 

[Lisak1]

I went for about 3-1/2’ feet deep for 2 reasons: 1) to keep the pond from getting too hot in the summer,

Such a good point! I mentioned that on another thread that the warning is often given to us northerners to make our ponds deep enough to keep the fish from freezing solid, but depth is just as important in the heat of summer to help your fish stay cool.

 

[Mmathis]

Such a good point! I mentioned that on another thread that the warning is often given to us northerners to make our ponds deep enough to keep the fish from freezing solid, but depth is just as important in the heat of summer to help your fish stay cool.

The past 2 (or 3?) summers I’ve had to put up shade sails, but even that only cuts the water temp by a few degrees. It’s bad when your water temp is showing in the 90’s! This year they are predicting an even warmer than usual summer for us. NOT looking forward to that! At least the fishies can go deep if they choose.

 

[Lisak1]

Time to invest in some block ice! Just toss one in every few hours... like floating icebergs! Or device a water cooling device that your water runs through... like an air conditioner for the pond!