Question on draining pool covers with a LOT of water on them

Hi all, glad to be part of your forum (new member). I have an inground pool and I'm getting ready to open it. There was a tremendous amount of water on the cover (like thousands of gallons); we had a very hard winter. I've been pumping water off of it all day and have made a big dent in it, but now it seems like the water level underneath the cover is getting low too, like I'm draining the whole pool in the process of draining the cover. Am I doing something wrong? Should I stop and call a professional?

Is there a hole in the cover? I found this just today when opening our AG pool.

I drained the cover occasionally over the winter when it wasn't frozen and when it was getting deep on the cover. Early in the winter our whale (pillow) deflated. after that I noticed the water level under the cover seemed to be getting lower - I figured "we'll figure it out in the summer". Today, as I was draining the muck one last time before lifting the cover, I noticed that one area was staying wet - and the water was clear, not the brown muck that covered the rest of the cover. That's when I found the hole. Looks like a stick went through the cover. I've been pumping out pool water all winter.

I'll go out and see if I can find a hole... good thought. The cover was brand new, but I guess that's no guarantee.

membership updated . . .