Winter Lake Aeration

The City of Apple Valley provides winter aeration on Alimagnet, Farquar, and Scout Lakes through a permit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.  Aeration is a process whereby a hole is kept open in the ice allowing air to diffuse into the water.  The increased oxygen levels in the water reduce winter fish kills of predatory fish such as bass and northern pike.  The increased numbers of predatory fish, in turn, affect the lake food chain such that water clarity is often improved.


Lake aeration does open a hole in the ice of the lakes and causes areas of thin ice.  Extreme caution should be used when deciding to walk on ice on a lake where a winter aeration system is in operation.  Pay attention to warning signs, check ice thickness frequently, and take ice safety precautions