Prevent Winter Fish Kill

Winter fish kill is uncommon, but it happens every year.  It may only happen to a small percentage of ponds each year, but when it does happen it can be devastating.  That should be enough for pond owners to become aware of the problem and find out how to prevent it.  Winterkill occurs when there is a significant decline in oxygen during a long period of ice cover.  A winter such as we have experienced this year could be the perfect storm for winter fish kill.  Freezing cold temperatures have caused the ponds to be frozen over for most of the winter.  Combine that with snow cover and you have the right conditions for a pond suffering to maintain oxygen.

Since we have had a brutal winter most pond owners will want to know how to prevent winterkill.  Most prevention is going to be natural.  The slightest warm spell in the middle of a wretched winter will allow oxygen levels to quickly increase.   Some measures that pond owners can take into their own hands come during pond construction.  It is important to construct a pond that is at least 10 to 12 feet deep and has shoreline slopes of 3:1.  The slopes limit the amount of shallow water that encourages plant growth and deeper ponds experience far less winterkill.  For ponds that already exist the most important step for pond owners to take is to limit the amount of plant decomposition that will occur during the winter.  Limiting summer vegetation growth will in turn lead to less decomposing plants and more oxygen for the fish during the winters.

For any questions on winter fish kill and how to prevent it please contact Sanco Industries today.