Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations pond renovation questions

Hello, I have a 5 acre pond that recently had an overflow pipe rust through and fall off. This caused about 4 acres to drain out. I am having a new pond siphon pipe installed on the levee to replace the old vertical overflow pipe. The pond at its deepest point was about 14ft. and gets pretty shallow around the edges due to silt. The pond is over 20 years old and has quite a bit of silt. The drained portion was still too soggy to get equipment into the pond, so I chose to have a super long stick excavator go around the periphery removing silt. The 4 acres that was not drained but still soggy has weed growth throughout.
I need advice on two issues:
1)does the weed growth have to be removed before the pond is allowed to fill? Will the water kill it? Will a couple more frosts kill it?(im in Lousiana) or should I spray as far out from bank as I can with herbicide?
2) I have several tall dead trees on the property. Some are 40 plus feet. I was going to have them cut and placed in the pond. Will these trees float up once the water slowly fills, are are they heavy enough not to weigh down. The trees are dead hardwoods.
Thanks

Drjrob, welcome aboard!
You have several things going on it sounds like and I am NOT a pond guru of the SE region for sure but to answer your question about the weeds, sometimes, depending on the type of growth, filling and inundating will kill some varieties. Some will continue to grow to the surface. If you can identify the type of plant and/or post pics maybe we can help you a bit more with that.
As for adding deciduous trees, I'm personally not in favor of adding that much organic load with so little benefit to the fishery. Cedar trees are a better choice. Nothing wrong with a log jamb of densely limbed trees in a small area but building a crib out of those trees providing small, micro habitats would be the best use if going to put them in the water. Search the archives for adding structure, you'll find plenty of reading there.

Welcome. No idea what the weeds are but, you'll never have a better chance than now. I would do it. If the trees are 100% dead, they shouldn't be a problem. Like Snipe, I prefer cedars.

Welcome to PBF!

How are you sealing off the old rusted out overflow pipe or did you remove it?