Hi Aimee, sorry to hear of your misfortune. You're absolutely correct regarding moving dirt, vs building or reconstructing a pond. This is an area where experience counts, and finding the right builder is imperative.
I'm not experienced in choosing a builder, but I'll toss out a couple thoughts. Firstly, even though the damage is extensive, try looking at the situation as an opportunity. You mention the pond was 40-50 years old....chances are it contains a fair amount of silt and organic matter, possibly reducing its original depth by a substantial amount. Now is the time to make improvements and enhancements, while the builder reconstructs the dam. Spend a little time looking things over and making changes where needed. You have a chance to make the pond better than ever and turn it into exactly what you want, including fish, features, amenities, etc.
Secondly, maybe you could try your local extension office and see if they maintain a list of pond builders. That doesn't automatically mean that everyone on the list is top notch, but it might provide a starting point. Ask around....neighbors, friends, some of them might have had a pond recently constructed, and will share a name.
Ask for references! A good builder will be proud of their work, and should have no problem providing you a list of folks to talk to. And definitely follow up! Talk to those folks and see if they are satisfied, or found the builder lacking in some manner.
Good luck, hopefully someone will be along to share some good ideas shortly. Welcome to PondBoss!
