You may not need to do anything—but if you raise fish or if the pond has a lot of aquatic vegetation, steps may be required ahead of winter. In ponds with heavy aquatic vegetation, that vegetation naturally dying off over the winter can deplete oxygen in the water column—which can lead to a fish kill. Throughout the summer and fall months, use treatments or other measures to reduce vegetation so that there isn’t too much decaying matter in the water over the winter.
If you’re farming fish, it’s important to remember that as the water gets colder, fish’s metabolisms slow down. You’ll need to develop a winter feeding program that reduces the amount of food they receive in the winter, but still provides enough to keep them healthy while not leaving waste accumulations that can contaminate the water.
