How do underground springs keep parts of lakes or rivers free of ice?

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ice in lakes and rivers Heat flow through an ice cover (see text).

Underground springs can keep parts of lakes and rivers free of ice by acting as a source of relatively warm water. Because groundwater is warmer than the freezing temperatures often found at the surface during winter, these inflows can disrupt the typical seasonal ice formation pattern.12

In smaller streams, this groundwater inflow is particularly significant, as it can melt ice that formed during colder periods. When these warm water sources are present, they prevent the water from reaching the freezing point, allowing sections of the lake or river to remain ice-free throughout the winter.21