Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Archuleta County
A well budget in Archuleta County starts with the ground beneath the lot, not the county average. Recorded depths have a median of 150 ft, but the middle half runs from 65-260 ft. That spread matters when you are pricing land, arranging construction or comparing drilling bids.
Colorado DWR records contain 3,769 permitted wells countywide, with 2,230 recorded as constructed. These records provide a starting point for properties around Pagosa Springs and Arboles, but a permit alone does not establish that a working well exists.
Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for all permitted wells in the county. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.
| Depth statistic | Feet |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 65 |
| Median | 150 |
| 75th percentile | 260 |
| 90th percentile | 450 |
| Deepest on record | 2,950 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 3,355 |
| Mancos | 197 |
| Dakota | 78 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 5.0 |
| Median | 10.0 |
| 75th percentile | 15.0 |
| Median depth to water | 42 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 2010s | 44 ft |
| 2020s | 41 ft |
Among the 2,295 wells reporting depth, the median is 150 ft and the middle half falls between 65-260 ft. For a drilling bid, that means allowing for substantial footage variation rather than treating the median as a fixed stopping depth. The 90th-percentile depth is 450 ft.
Most permits identify an unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifer; Mancos and Dakota also appear. In fractured rock, usable water depends on the openings the borehole intersects, not just how far down the driller goes. Compare nearby completed wells around your actual parcel in Pagosa Springs or Arboles, especially those with similar terrain and aquifer descriptions.
The 907 wells with reported pump yields have a median of 10.0 gpm, with a middle half of 5.0-15.0 gpm. That is encouraging for household planning, but a recorded drilling-time yield is not a guarantee of sustained production today. Ask for a current pumping and recovery test on an existing well.
Yield reports put 3% below 1 gpm. That is a small share, but a serious concern for a buyer: slow recovery may require storage, demand management or further investigation before closing. Domestic/household use accounts for 75% of permits. Actual permitted uses still control; available water does not automatically authorize irrigation or livestock watering.
Static water level is the depth to resting water in the well, not the total drilled depth. Archuleta County's median is 42 ft below ground, and the middle half spans 10-100 ft. A relatively shallow resting level does not mean the well can be drilled that shallow; the borehole must reach a productive water-bearing zone.
The median measured level was 44 ft in the 2010s and 41 ft in the 2020s. Those figures do not suggest a dropping water table. However, only 163 records report static levels, and these are not necessarily repeat measurements from the same wells. They cannot establish a trend for your parcel.
Permit issuance was highest in the listed decades during the 1990s, with 744 permits, followed by 671 in the 2000s. The records show 219 in the 2020s, with the newest permit dated 2025. That partial decade should not be compared directly with a completed decade to judge demand.
The most active drillers in the records are Beeman Bros Drilling Inc (Beeman, J. L.) with 469, Justice Water Systems, Inc (Hellwege, Joel S.) with 288, and Smith Water Well Service (Sanders, O L) with 236. These are historical record counts, not confirmation of current availability. Ask prospective drillers about recent work near your lot and the conditions they encountered.
The supplied cost model assumes fractured mountain bedrock, such as granite or gneiss, at $65-$100 per foot. At the county's 150 ft median depth, that puts the drilled hole around $9,800-$15,000. A finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is estimated at $15,800-$27,000.
Treat those figures as planning allowances, not a parcel-specific quote. The model does not establish your lot's geology. Ask the driller to identify casing and grout allowances, access requirements, and how extra footage is charged. Have the pump and trenching scope spelled out separately so a low drilling price is not mistaken for a complete working water system.
The environmental mapping includes 12 PFAS sampling/contamination sites and 10 historic mine features within about 10 miles. A mapped sampling site does not prove that a nearby domestic well is contaminated. Conversely, the absence of mapped EPA Superfund/cleanup sites does not establish that the water is safe. Use the locations to guide questions and laboratory testing.
Inspect casing, the wellhead and surface drainage, and confirm that proposed septic facilities can meet required separation rules. Low-yield records show why production testing matters; fractured bedrock also leaves the possibility of an unsuccessful borehole. Ask how the drilling contract handles that outcome before authorizing work.
Start with the permit and completion report for the property, then compare neighboring wells for depth, yield and aquifer. Countywide statistics are useful context, but they should not override evidence from the same hillside or drainage. Records from nearby La Plata County or Mineral County are not substitutes for local comparisons.
Confirm permitted uses with DWR before relying on water for anything beyond the stated authorization. For a new build, coordinate the well location with drilling access, the driveway, house, septic layout and utility trench. Make an existing-well purchase contingent on acceptable production and water-quality results, and keep a contingency for work the records cannot predict.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 4 |
| 1960s | 20 |
| 1970s | 493 |
| 1980s | 469 |
| 1990s | 744 |
| 2000s | 671 |
| 2010s | 493 |
| 2020s | 219 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Beeman Bros Drilling Inc (Beeman, J. L.) | 469 |
| Justice Water Systems, Inc (Hellwege, Joel S.) | 288 |
| Smith Water Well Service (Sanders, O L) | 236 |
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 (260 ft) would run roughly $22,900–$38,000. 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 Archuleta CountyFor an Archuleta County lot near Pagosa Springs or Arboles, Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor for access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems and custom homes. Coordinate that site work with the well location and drilling access before construction begins.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Archuleta County 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.
Spend a little to know. Or gamble a lot to guess. Realtors sell the view and inspectors look at houses that already exist. We're the people who'd build it, so we catch what quietly turns a "great deal" into a budget disaster: bad access, buried rock, steep grade, soil that won't pass for a normal septic, water that's a fortune to reach. And if the lot is good, you've already got a builder ready to do the work, driveway to drywall.
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.
Driveway, site work, septic or a build near Archuleta County. Licensed GC, excavator and septic installer.
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The median reported well depth is 150 ft, and the middle half ranges from 65-260 ft. The 90th-percentile depth is 450 ft. Fractured-bedrock conditions mean neighboring properties can require different depths, so use nearby completion reports to set a budget rather than assuming your well will stop at the county median.
The mountain-bedrock cost model uses $65-$100 per foot. At the 150 ft median depth, drilling alone is about $9,800-$15,000; a finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is about $15,800-$27,000. Request a site-specific bid that identifies access, casing, grout and extra-footage charges.
Reported pump yields have a median of 10.0 gpm, with the middle half at 5.0-15.0 gpm. Among wells reporting yield, 3% are below 1 gpm. A historical yield entry does not prove present capacity. Before buying, arrange a pumping and recovery test and assess whether storage is needed for household demand.
Safety has to be established at the individual well. Mapping identifies 12 PFAS sampling/contamination sites and 10 historic mine features within about 10 miles, but proximity alone does not establish contamination. Obtain laboratory testing, inspect the wellhead and casing, and use nearby environmental records to decide whether additional contaminant testing is appropriate.
The available decade medians do not show a drop: static water levels were 44 ft below ground in the 2010s and 41 ft in the 2020s. Only 163 records report static levels, and the measurements may represent different wells. These figures cannot establish long-term conditions at a particular property.
Driveway, septic, site development, feasibility or a custom build near Archuleta County.
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