Turtles live a long time, a big one could be decades old.
They're primarily scavengers, although the will pick off live, swimming fish. I saw two snappers with live bluegills in their beaks last summer.
I think the biggest danger to small ponds is bank and bottom degredation, because they do like to dig things up. They can create mechanical turbidity in the same way that anything stirring up the bottom can. I knew one farmer who had them digging in his dam, so removed them to protect his dam.
In a 190 acre sandhill lake, I can't imagine the probable harm, and it doesn't sound as if it's over-populated if you see some turtles when you go out there.
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You can be a Fish Recycler too...let 'em swim.
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