Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Phillips County › Amherst
Buying land or planning a home near Amherst means understanding what nearby wells actually produce, not relying on a countywide average. The Colorado DWR records include 295 permitted wells within 5 miles of Amherst, although only 90 are recorded as constructed, 132 report total depth, 44 report pump yield, and 13 report static water level.
The local records point to wells commonly reaching the plains sedimentary rock and alluvial materials beneath the area. Depth, production, water quality, and final construction cost can still vary from one parcel to the next. Use these figures to compare neighboring wells and to ask better questions before closing or ordering a new well.
Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for permitted wells within 5 miles of Amherst. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.
| Depth statistic | Feet |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 212 |
| Median | 240 |
| 75th percentile | 280 |
| 90th percentile | 315 |
| Deepest on record | 400 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 188 |
| Ogallala | 103 |
| Quaternary Alluvium | 1 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 14.8 |
| Median | 20.0 |
| 75th percentile | 800.0 |
| Median depth to water | 124 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| Not enough dated measurements | — |
The median reported well depth near Amherst is 240 feet. The middle half runs from 212 to 280 feet, and the deepest record reaches 400 feet. Eighty percent of the reported depth mix falls between 100 and 300 feet; another 20% is between 300 and 600 feet.
For a drilling bid, that middle range is more useful than the median alone. A contractor who prices a hole around 240 feet may still need to account for a site closer to the deeper end of the local range. The ground is described as alluvium and plains sedimentary rock. Local geology, the target aquifer, and the result of drilling on adjoining parcels will determine the actual depth.
Among the 44 wells reporting pump yield, the median is 20.0 gallons per minute. The middle half ranges from 14.8 to 800.0 gallons per minute. The recorded mix shows 75% producing more than 15 gallons per minute and 25% producing between 5 and 15 gallons per minute. No reported wells fall under 5 gallons per minute.
That is a strong local production picture, but the very wide upper range deserves caution. Yield records are limited and may reflect different well uses, testing methods, and aquifers. A buyer should obtain the well construction report and pump test for the specific property. A high reported yield nearby does not guarantee the same result on an untested lot.
Only 13 records report a static water level. Those measurements have a median depth to water of 124 feet, with the middle half between 112 and 148 feet. That helps a driller estimate the lift from the standing water level to the pressure tank, but it is not a guarantee of the pumping water level during use.
The available facts do not provide static water levels by decade, so they do not establish a dropping or rising water-table trend near Amherst. The permit history does show activity across several decades, including the newest permit in 2023, but permit age is not a substitute for repeated water-level measurements. Ask for recent measurements and pumping information tied to the property.
Permits in the Amherst search area span the 1950s through the 2020s. The busiest recorded decade was the 1970s with 47 permits, followed by the 1990s with 44 and the 1980s with 24. There were 26 permits in the 2000s, 16 in the 2010s, and 3 in the 2020s. The newest permit year is 2023.
The most active drillers in these records are Wellstone Industries Dba Twiss & Wilson Drilling Inc, with 32 wells; Haggard Drilling Inc., with 21; and Jim Feighny & Sons, with 9. These names are useful when tracing construction records, but they are not a recommendation. Confirm the current permit path with Colorado DWR before drilling.
The local cost model uses a typical drilling rate of $35 to $55 per foot for alluvium and plains sedimentary rock. At the local median depth of 240 feet, the drilled hole works out to about $8,400 to $13,200.
A finished system, including the pump, tank, trenching, and electrical, is modeled at about $14,400 to $25,200. Treat that as a planning range, not a fixed proposal. Depth, casing and grout requirements, access, power distance, water testing, and site conditions can move the price. Have bidders separate drilling from equipment and site work so you can compare the same scope.
The records name the unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifer for 188 wells, the Ogallala for 103, and Quaternary Alluvium for 1. Fractured materials can be less predictable from one location to another. The use mix includes domestic or household wells at 38%, stock at 22%, and irrigation at 48%. Confirm that the existing permit allows the use you need; an exempt household-use well is not the same as an irrigation supply.
There are 5 mapped PFAS sampling or contamination sites within about 10 miles, with no historic mine features and no EPA Superfund or cleanup sites mapped. That does not prove a private well is unsafe. Test the actual water, review nearby land uses, and keep septic separation and building-site constraints in the plan. A dry hole or low-yield result remains possible even where nearby wells perform well.
Before buying, request every available DWR permit and construction report for the property and nearby wells. Compare reported depths, aquifer names, static levels, yields, well uses, casing, and grout. Holyoke, Paoli, Julesburg, Ovid, Haxtun, and Sedgwick provide useful regional context, but the closest wells to the lot deserve the most attention.
For a new build, confirm the well location, septic area, access for a drilling rig, electrical route, and storage needs before finalizing house plans. Colorado DWR permitting matters, and an over-appropriated basin may require an augmentation plan for some uses. Get a written drilling and completion scope, then budget separately for testing and the complete pump system. The local records are encouraging on production, but they are not a guarantee for an untested parcel.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 1 |
| 1960s | 9 |
| 1970s | 47 |
| 1980s | 24 |
| 1990s | 44 |
| 2000s | 26 |
| 2010s | 16 |
| 2020s | 3 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Wellstone Industries Dba Twiss & Wilson Drilling Inc (Twiss, Raymond L.) | 32 |
| Haggard Drilling Inc. (Haggard, Kenneth W) | 21 |
| Jim Feighny & Sons (Feighny, Jim) | 9 |
How this is built: the median permitted depth here times the per-foot range for this ground, plus the normal system costs. A lot at the 75th-percentile depth (280 ft) would run roughly $15,800–$27,400. See the full Colorado well cost guide.
Counts come from EPA, USGS and state datasets layered on the Colorado Well Finder map. A count is not a verdict on any one well; it tells you what to test for.
The numbers above are the area average. Your lot is one point on the map. Search the address to see the real depth, yield and aquifer of each permitted well around it.
Map wells near AmherstTri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Amherst-area projects, including access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems, and custom homes. Bring the well, septic, access, and house planning together before construction starts.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Amherst can carry the same asking price while one needs an $80,000 driveway and a $45,000 engineered septic the other doesn't. The well numbers on this page are the start of that answer. A Tri-Lakes Site Feasibility Report is the rest of it: a licensed general contractor, excavator and septic installer reads the parcel the way we would if we were about to build on it, and puts the real cost in writing before your money is committed.
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Under contract, comparing parcels, or a realtor with a rural listing whose buyers keep asking "what will it cost to build here?" This is the due-diligence step almost everyone skips, and the one that saves the most.
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The median reported depth near Amherst is 240 feet. The middle half of reported wells is 212 to 280 feet, while the deepest record reaches 400 feet. Eighty percent of the depth mix is between 100 and 300 feet. A specific parcel can differ, so nearby construction reports should be reviewed before a driller prices the work.
The local model uses $35 to $55 per foot. At the 240-foot median depth, the drilled hole is estimated at $8,400 to $13,200. A finished well with pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is estimated at $14,400 to $25,200. Access, depth, casing, grout, power distance, and site conditions can change the bid.
Among 44 wells with reported pump yields, the median is 20.0 gallons per minute. The middle half ranges from 14.8 to 800.0 gallons per minute. Seventy-five percent report more than 15 gallons per minute, and 25% report 5 to 15. These results do not guarantee the yield of a new or untested well.
The available records do not establish that every private well is safe to drink. Five PFAS sampling or contamination sites are mapped within about 10 miles, while no historic mine features or EPA Superfund sites are mapped. Test the individual well, review nearby land uses, and retest when conditions or ownership change. Do not rely only on a neighbor’s result.
The available facts cannot establish a declining trend. Only 13 records report static water levels, with a median depth to water of 124 feet and a middle half from 112 to 148 feet. No water-level-by-decade series is provided. Ask for current measurements and pumping information for the property and nearby wells before making a decision.
All wells in Phillips County — county-wide depth, yield and cost figures.
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