Good idea if you get enough rain and you can draw water off the bottom. We do this as a management tool for the reasons you noted and for population management and adjustment and to do work around pond in the basin (like piers and structure and muck scraping with a box blade when real dry.

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000287;p=1#000000 See Dave Willis' post.