Tips for the better management of your lake

Lake Management Treatment Aeration

Natural Aeration Surface aeration

• Fountains• Floating surface aerators• Paddlewheel aerators

Sub-Surface Aeration Jet aeration Coarse bubble aeration Fine bubble aeration

Aeration Aeration is the

process of increasing the oxygen saturation of the water.

Natural Aeration Natural aeration is a type of both sub-surface and surface

aeration. It can occur through sub-surface aquatic plants. Through the natural process of photosynthesis, water plants release oxygen into the water providing it with the oxygen necessary for fish to live and aerobic bacteria to break down excess nutrients.

Oxygen can be driven into the water when the wind disturbs the surface of the water body and natural aeration can occur through a movement of water caused by an incoming stream, waterfall, or even a strong flood.

Surface aeration Fountains : A fountain consists of a motor that powers a

rotating impeller. The impeller pumps water from the first few feet of the water and expels it into the air. This process utilizes air-water contact to transfer oxygen. As the water is propelled into the air, it breaks into small droplets. Collectively, these small droplets have a large surface area through which oxygen can be transferred. Upon return, these droplets mix with the rest of the water and thus transfer their oxygen back to the ecosystem.

Floating surface aerators : They extract water from the first 1–2 feet of the water body and utilize air-water contact to transfer oxygen. Instead of propelling water into the air, they disrupt the water at the water surface. Floating surface aerators are also powered by on-shore electricity.

Paddlewheel aerators : Paddlewheel aerators also utilize air-to-water contact to transfer oxygen from the air in the atmosphere to the water body. They are most often used in the aquaculture field.

Sub-surface Aeration Subsurface aeration seeks to release bubbles at the bottom of

the water body and allow them to rise by the force of buoyancy. Diffused Aerator For Pond systems utilize bubbles to aerate as well as mix the water. Water displacement from the expulsion of bubbles can cause a mixing action to occur, and the contact between the water and the bubble will result in an oxygen transfer.

Jet aeration : Sub-surface aeration can be accomplished by the use of jet aerators, which aspirate air, by means of the Venturi principle, and inject the air into the liquid.

Coarse bubble aeration : Coarse bubble aeration is a type of subsurface aeration wherein air is pumped from an on-shore air compressor. through a hose to a unit placed at the bottom of the water body. The unit expels coarse bubbles.

Fine bubble aeration : Fine bubble diffused aeration is able to maximize the surface area of the bubbles and thus transfer more oxygen to the water per bubble.