Mini ice-age

[Shdwdrgn]

I've tried standing around the edges... the ice is very solid, feels really thick. We've been sick, so I almost forgot to grab pics today... lucky I have a flash on my camera

This one looks all foggy, like a swamp at night.

The gap is starting to close up...

I seem to be losing water, however. Not quite sure where its going. I don't *think* there is that much water freezing on top of the ice every night, but I could be wrong. I had to add in another 30 gallons or so this morning.

 

[taherrmann4]

It doesn't look like it in any of your photos but is the gap between the ice and the top of the water level growing. If you are losing water then the gap has to be growing except for when you add the water. The water you are losing is probably from it flowing on top of the other ice and freezing. It looks like to me that your ice is getting thicker and growing up and out.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

@Tmann - What you are seeing in the pictures is my 'big' pond. From here, the water flows through a little stream to the small pond, which is only about 3' in diameter. The pumps lay in the bottom of the small pond, so when the water level starts to drop, I will see a change of several inches in the small pond and only about an inch difference in the large pond. When I had to refill several inches of water today, there was actually very little difference in the water height near the falls.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

There's been a bit of overflow now and then, it appears. You can see where the ice has spilled out around the edges of the pond here...

The bulge of ice in front of the falls is still getting thicker, but its fairly hollow inside the ice. The cat has decided its fun walking across the pond today, but I couldn't get a picture of him. The sides of the ice flow have started to connect now.

And from the right side...

We're heading into some near-50 degree weather this week, and our overnight lows are staying above zero now, so I'm not sure how much more its going to grow, but we shall see...

 

[taherrmann4]

I wish had the guts to keep my pond going in the winter, but I just fear too many issues. With all my creeks and stuff I would be concerned about ice damns and losing too much water outside of the pond.

Looks neat!

 

[Shdwdrgn]

I already knew going into this season that this coming Spring, I have to pull up my liner all around the edge of the pond and rebuild the bank under it (probably using rocks to shore it up). I started noticing late last Summer that when I topped off the pond, I was getting drainage around some of the edges. I think the dirt bank I built must have settled over the past couple years, so I need to try and bring it back up about 3" all around with something a little more solid.

I actually have fewer problems around the stream than anywhere else. I think this is because the water moves so fast, it won't freeze up (although I've had it freeze over). I keep a close eye on my pond though, especially when I know things might freeze up, checking on it 2-3 times a days. I'm actually expecting all this ice to melt off in the next few weeks, just because that's how our weather normally works here.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

This morning I noticed the water had warmed up significantly, and I had a large open area through the ice. The fish were peaking out for their first glimpse of sunlight in weeks.

It's pretty obvious where the water flow is through my pond

Since it was melting off so fast, the water was starting to seep around the sides of the falls again, so a little while ago I decided to use the spade to cut a channel in the ice so try and direct the water. Apparently the whole thing was a lot more melted than I thought. With my first light tap of the shovel...

That's a LOT of ice underwater!

So much ice, in fact, that the water level in my entire pond went up by 2-3 inches, and I have water seeping out around the rocks on the edge. I guess I won't have to top off the water for a few days!

 

[j.w]

Man that was a lot of ice build up and now look at it, almost all gone just like that! That was really neat to watch, thanks for sharing :razz:
I've got some area's around my pond where when I top it off in Summer it leaks out around my liner too. I want it to fill higher and stay in there so I'll have to do some messing w/ my liner also. Not looking forward to moving all the rocks and disturbing plants tho.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

J.W - yeah I agree it'll be hard on the plants, which is why I want to get mine done first thing in the Spring. That will give them plenty of time to start growing back in again, and shouldn't be long before I can't even tell anything was disturbed.

Funny thing, after all that yesterday, the pond was frozen over again this morning. We have a couple more days of warm weather, then snow again for Friday and Saturday. Its gonna be a crazy Winter!

 

[j.w]

Our Springs are so wet,cold and rainy I doubt if I'll feel like getting out there there till Summer. Plants will come back eventually and I just need to do it.
I could use some crazy weather here as this rain of ours is really getting boring...........actually right now as I look out my window it's trying to snow. It can't stick tho cuz it will be in the 40's in a couple hours..............boo hoo!

 

[addy1]

Love your pictures. Very pretty.

That is why your area is called the nw rain forest jw!

 

[Shdwdrgn]

And here we go with round 2... Yesterday the ice started doming off over the top of the falls, and by this morning it looked like this...

Tonight when I got home it looked like this...

And tomorrow we're going to start warming up again! Sheesh!

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Oops! The waterfall finished freezing over last night, and then the water proceeded to flow out ON TOP of the pond.

When I dropped in the hose to top it off this morning, the water flowed out over the top again, so I had to chop some holes in the ice at the top to let it flow through properly...

The whole thing just looks like a frozen bank of fog.

Ice skating, anyone?

Well, its been fun, but this should start melting off again tonight, and I need to stop letting the ice build up so much. I've got at least 50 gallons of ice sitting on top of the pond, which is going to flood out over the edges when it melts off. After this round, I'll be keeping the ice cleared back from the falls better so I don't have any more overflows.

 

[j.w]

Was neat seeing it all happen and make all those cool looking formations. Agree you should stop now while your ahead or you might find fish flowing by your windows one warmer day!

 

[addy1]

Beautiful shots! We have not been cold enough to make neat ice sculptures.