That's positive news that the pond was there before construction.

I'm not really following what you want to do with a burm/berm though. It may be just fine the way it it. With the view from your porch, I would think a berm would detract from that.

Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."