Digging a well, how deep to go?

I started digging a well (using a hand auger) and hit water at around 6-7 feet (property is close to a pond). I kept digging down to about 16 feet, at which point I have around 10-11 feet of water. I need the water for irrigation, so I am not too concerned if it's not very clean, I don't plan to drink it.

The question is, how deep should I go? Is this enough or should I keep going?

I believe this is surface water (maybe from the pond) and I am concerned that once I start pumping, it might dry out. Thoughts?

There is a lot of variables here but assuming you have 4 inch pvc well casing, thats only 7 gallons of water in reserve so you would need to go much deeper to supply for irrigation. You also want to get beyond the sand or other and into some course rock so its naturally filtered and less likely to clog.

Chances are your pond has a clay base causing it to hold water. If its fed by a spring or year round creek, then you might consider pumping directly from the pond for irrigation, to get more volume.

If its not a fed pond and you pump enough through the well, it should be evident if the water drops when you mark it.

Some questions;
- what volume of water do you need ?
- can you collect rainfall in 20,000L tanks?
- can you pump from the pond.