Riddler, I'm a plant guy(vs structure) and I'll tell you this. Not sure what invasive species grow in N CA, but as Dave said be careful. Most shoreline plants that I like are slow to grow, so therefore don't always out compete invasives. You can plant something like Arrowhead, that grows well, but still allows Primrose to grow outside it. When this happens, you wind up spraying the Primrose, and killing the Arrowhead with residual spray.
The only plant I've personally experienced that will keep other invasives in check is American Lotus, and it's a bear to control as well. It is a bad invasive also, but it seems to choke out everything else. That's why it's such a nuance.
If it was me, I'd get the shoreline sodded and clear of weeds below the future waterline, and then go from there. As a general rule, I spray agricultural herbicides no closer than 4' from the waterline, then aquatic herbicides on the water's edge. Again, it's just my experience, but bare soil at the pond's edge creates all kinds of weed problems.
I will add this. If you're drawing down the water up to 30% a year, shoreline invasives are much easier to control naturally, but also hinder any preferred plants.
Just my 2 cents.
