Winterizing Your Water Feature in Colorado: Step-by-Step Guide

Don’t Let a Freeze Destroy Your Investment

Colorado’s winter temperatures can drop fast — and if your water feature isn’t winterized correctly, ice can damage pumps, crack lines, and ruin rockwork. Whether you have a pond, waterfall, or bubbling boulder, here’s how we prepare systems to survive the freeze without costly spring repairs.

1. Know What Type of Water Feature You Have

Different systems require different winterization steps:

• Pondless waterfall: Easier to drain and shut off
  
  

• Ecosystem pond: May need partial winter function to protect fish
  
  

• Formal water features: Often built with autofill, requiring valve shutoffs
  
  

We always assess the installed system before creating a winter plan.

2. Shut Off and Remove the Pump (If Seasonal)

If your system doesn’t need to run through winter:

• Unplug and remove the pump
  
  

• Store it indoors submerged in a bucket of water to prevent seals from drying
  
  

• Blow out or drain supply lines if accessible
  
  

• Disconnect auto-fill or irrigation lines to prevent cracking
  
  

If the pump must stay running, we insulate pump chambers and monitor regularly.

3. Drain the Water Basin or Lower the Pond Level

• For pondless systems, drain the underground basin as much as possible
  
  

• For ponds, lower water level just below the skimmer opening
  
  

• Remove debris from the bottom to prevent sludge and anaerobic buildup
  
  

If fish are present, add a floating de-icer to keep an opening for gas exchange.

4. Clean Out Leaves and Organic Debris

Leaves left over winter create sludge, clog pipes, and breed bacteria. We recommend:

• Netting the pond in late fall
  
  

• Vacuuming or manually removing leaf debris
  
  

• Trimming back pond plants before freezing
  
  

5. Disconnect Autofill and Irrigation Connections

These lines often freeze underground before the pond does. We:

• Shut off the backflow preventer
  
  

• Blow out the lines if possible
  
  

• Cap exposed connections with winter plugs
  
  

This helps prevent spring flooding and cracked fittings.

6. Cover or Protect Exposed Plumbing

Any exposed PVC, flexible piping, or check valves should be:

• Fully drained
  
  

• Wrapped with insulation or foam
  
  

• Shut off at the valve box if applicable

Related Services:

[Pond & Waterfall Installation]

[Grading & Drainage Solutions]

[Full Yard Renovations]

Want Your Water Feature to Survive the Freeze? We’ll Handle It.

We’ll inspect your system, shut it down correctly, and make sure it’s protected until spring.

[Request a Quote]

[Call (720) 306-9123]