As you may be aware already it is very important to keep a small hole in the ice of a pond that begins to freeze over. This keeps toxins from building up in your pond water by giving them a hole to escape from. However, although your first instinct may be to break up any ice buildup in or around your pond, you want to refrain from poking unnecessary holes in the ice.
When you create a small hole across your pond, the water underneath may start to flow on top of the surrounding ice. This prevents your water source from running underneath the ice and reaching your pump, now causing your pond to leak. To fix this, you’ll need to carefully open another hole near your pump so all the water that is now running on top of the ice will flow back into this new hole and reach the pump.
Ice formations around your waterfall are common during the winter as well. They act as a barrier between the cold air outside and the water running underneath it. Breaking the ice in multiple areas exposes the running water to freezing temperatures a second time. Now all the newly exposed water begins to freeze and creates even more ice than your pond had before. Now your water source may begin to deplete from this new build-up of ice and you may find yourself having to add water to your pond more frequently.
We love to keep our ponds running in the winter but every season requires different types of maintenance. Just keep an eye on how your pond is affected during below-freezing temperatures and you should be good to go for the winter season.