To say there are multiple issues doesn't even come close... Currently the ditch that is supposed to take the excess water from the pond to the county system has areas higher in elevation than the desired pond level as it has been neglected for 12 years.
Good update. I was guessing that was one of the problems.
I would recommend fixing that one first and then moving on to the others after you can observe your results.
Can you hand shovel out the high spots on the drainage ditch, or are you going to need power equipment to do it "right"?
(I have rented a mini-excavator a few times for projects at my farm. They are surprisingly easy to master for simple excavation projects.)
If you are going to re-slope the ditch with power equipment, try to maintain a constant slope to the county ditch. That will decrease the erosion tendency of your new and improved drainage ditch.
Also, immediately re-seed any new slopes of bare dirt that you create. You do not want the next big rain to fill your ditch with fresh sediment!
