To dig the pond out you're looking at Track Hoe time mostly (Dozers don't do a great job renovating and you have to haul it off (even if it is just to a nearby pasture).
I'm gonna try to help you get your bearings here....let me start by saying that all projects are very fact specific and these SWAG numbers I throw out could be way off...All that said, I would not embark on renovating a true 3 acre pond without planning to spend $30-$50K (I say "true" because people often miss on the high side when guessing surface acreage - esp if they are a seller or real estate agent).
You're gonna need to find a contractor you can trust to give you an accurate count of hours on their equipment or else you're in a spot to get hosed with a renovation project because it is not a slam dunk like building a dam where you can see if their are playing games with the machine hours.
I am down in Columbia...I'm happy to tell you going rates for track hoe time, dozers, dump trucks etc...just private message me.
