Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Lily pads and turtles

Strange things happened at our small lake this year. First only about half of our usual amount of lily pads came up this year. Some say that we over-fertilized and the resulting lack of sunshine stopped them from growing. Make sense? If so, will they come back next year?
Strangely about 80% of our turtles died this year as well. I understand that high PH could cause both but our lake typically has low PH.
Any ideas??

Greg where were the turtles found dead? We lost a bunch this year during the time that they leave the pond and do whatever they do. I’m thinking our abundance of coons killed them... these were large red ears and native and by the coloration looked to be healthy before their demise.

Thanks Pat!
Ours were healthy as well.
We didn't find any dead. But if they die in the lake, many times they just sink to the bottom. But the coon idea is a good one. Actually we have an abundance of foxes. They will eat ANYTHING. That may indeed be what happened.

Now if i could just figure out the lily pads............

Here's a stretch...the BOW got overpopulated with turtles and/or underpopulated with turtle forage, the turtles ate and/or destroyed a fair amount of the lily pads, and then moved elsewhere.

Muskrat or beaver? Both eat lily pad rhizomes and foliage.

Well up till now the number of lily pads and numbers of turtles has remained constant.