Shower drain problem

[hba123]

Hello. My shower stall had a bad odor so I removed the metal cover from the drain and cleaned it off, eliminating the odor. However, I noticed that there is water in the pipe about 8 inches down. We have had no trouble with standing water in the stall, or even sluggish drain in the shower, but I assumed that this should not be. Tried home remedies and also a 20 foot snake to no avail. No hair or other clog coming up but the water is still there. Any comments/suggestions?

 

[FlushMasta]

thats your p-trap!
its just like any 'j-bendy' lookin thing under any kitchen or lav sink... its there to prevent sewer gasses from coming up the drain. you should always have water in it

 

[hba123]

Thanks so much for your reply!