LEJ, if your pond is deep enough and you have a hardy lily, you could probably leave it in over the winter. My pond is more like a big puddle... I have a pump and waterfall down some rocks, room for a few goldfish (who die regularly and have to be replaced from WalMart) and several plants. It's nice to hear the water, see all the birds gather, and its our dog's favorite drinking bowl. I use a large tub over the winter to save the plants. I put the pump into it, too, and it splashes water like a fountain. Snails keep the tub clean. It sits in my living room from fall until spring. There is a great pond forum that provides good advice. I used the forum alot when I first made my pond a couple of years ago. You can get to the forum from the links on the pond page at my website... Alice's pond page.