Hi ya Pennwood, sorry to here about your probs. I am not very schooled on soil, excavating, packing or dirt work in general but will relay my personal experience. Had a 1/4 acre hole dug before I did enough research and now have a ground water level pond. If you have'nt come across this term it describes a hole that has a gravel/sand/spring at a specific level that allows water to equal itself out between your hole and the surrounding aquifer level. If anyone can clarify this, please do. When my hole was dug I was even more ignorant than I am presently. About a week after it was done I was standing on my beach looking across the hole to the overflow. I noticed a white line slightly moving about 3' below what would be full pool. Went over and up close found that it was hundreds of Cabbage butterflies getting a drink at a gravel vein that was seeping water. Did'nt figure out till later that the water flows both ways depending on which side has the more pressure. Consequently when the hole fills up and is a 12' deep pond the pressure pushes the water through the gravel out into the aquifer thus reducing it to a 9' pond. My guess is that your existing water in the additionally 4' deeper section may have a connection to the surrounding aquifer. Again, I don't know shoes from shineola but would guess that if you pumped out the permanent water and the deep part fills back up before outside water enters you've got your problem narrowed down. Maybe as simple as filling the "future honey hole" back up with good, properly compacted clay. Hope maybe Otto or some other dirt expert will weigh in on my theory. Best of luck and buy momma something real nice BEFORE you spend another penny on your clay hole that you want to smell like fish!!!! Do that and maybe when it fills she may agree that stocking it would be worthwhile.Bob=O
