Stays in a pond. Here along the Gulf Coast the wind starts in Feb-Mar and doesn’t stop until June and then it just gets hot! Water is “sticky” and once something blow into a water gardens it’s there until you net it out or it decomposes. Wind is just one of the factors that can cause green ponds. Be as diligent as possible at netting flowing debris from your pond. Usually leaves will float for 1-2 days before sinking to the bottom, which gives you a little time to tackle the floating leaves.