I have a small area of ephemeral wetlands on our property. During dry periods it isn't very noticeable, unless you are observing the plant species. You can walk from all of the grasses and forbs in our tallgrass prairie into an area with dozens of different species that thrive with "wet feet".

If your wetlands are natural, then they are probably hundreds or even thousands of years old. In that case, your pond will almost assuredly be eutrophic (high nutrients).

You will probably fight algae problems when your pond is young, but that should subside later as rooted pond plants native to your wetlands re-establish in your pond and start "stealing" nutrients from the algae.

I like your plan to cut a few access trails and then observe the changes, and THEN make modifications from that point.

I think your pond will always have nutrient-rich water. Your achievable goal will then probably be to minimize the buildup of organic muck on the bottom of your pond that slowly tries to make your pond shallower. Clearing the trees that will contribute organic matter is a good start with a large benefit for not that much work.

The other thing to manage may be to knock back some of your pond plants early in the growth cycle to reduce the total annual mass of plant material. I would recommend coming back later to the forum and getting a correct identification for your plants, and then some treatment/control recommendations (if needed). There are several excellent pond managers and even professionals on Pond Boss to give you advice on that topic.

I hope you enjoy the home build project coming up now!

I also agree with your plan to "disturb" the natural beauty of the property as little as possible. However, it is possible to enhance the natural beauty with just a few gentle nudges. For example, if your wife does want a few trees, you could plant a few bald cypress trees at the edge of the wetlands that would enhance your view in a location far enough from the pond where the needles won't easily be transported that distance. Those trees should thrive in that environment and grow relatively rapidly to replace the trees you cut adjacent to the pond.