A vital part of maintaining the health of our lake, the use of an aerator helps stabilize winter oxygen levels assuring the survival of most of our fishery. Joe Hubers coordinates the maintenance of the MLA owned aerator, the timing to turn it on and the installation and removal of safety fencing. We can always use volunteers to help on short notice.

20+ years ago the lake suffered several significant winter kills of our fish. Heavy snow and long winters affect the sunlight that keeps the plants growing. In time, the plants die off and they consume oxygen as they decompose. The MLA installed a large compressor aerator system that opens up a significant surface area to allow natural oxygen transfer into the water column. We have not had a significant winter kill since.

The area opened by the rising warmer water from the bottom can create open water up to 20 acres. Therefore, we must install a safety warning fence to encircle this area. Once started, the compressor must be run continuously until ice out. This is a significant expense for the MLA. Many property owners are adding various systems to maintain open water around their piers in the winter. Wisconsin law requires similar warning requirements whenever ice is removed by artificial means.