Question
I bought a beautiful healthy water lily from the garden store. It was full of leaves and had a flower budding.  It is now totally ravaged with no leaves or flowers only some damaged stems dangling.  Will  my water lily come back next year when I get rid of the turtle or will I need to spend another $40 on new one.

Answer
Hello!
As long as the turtle is in the pond I would not bother to buy another Water Lily, because she will eat it again.
Whether or not the current Lily comes back depends on the degree of damage to the growing tip (the tip of the tuber). If the growing tip was damaged it will probably not return.