Arriba well buyer guide

What Arriba Wells Are Really Like

Colorado Well FinderWells by countyLincoln County › Arriba

For rural property near Arriba, the local well records point to relatively shallow wells in plains alluvium and sedimentary rock. Among permitted wells within five miles, the median reported depth is 86 feet, and the middle half runs from 64 to 100 feet. Reported yields are generally useful, but the available yield sample is small: only 19 wells report a pump yield.

That makes the nearby permit map valuable, but not a substitute for a site-specific estimate. Look at neighboring wells, the intended household or stock use, and the lot's septic and access constraints before you buy or build.

189wells in DWR permit records
86 ftmedian well depth
64–100 ftmiddle half of well depths
15.0 gpmmedian pump yield
70 ftmedian depth to water
2024newest permit on record

Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for permitted wells within 5 miles of Arriba. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.

How deep are wells around Arriba?

69% under 100 ft31% 100–300 ft0% 300–600 ft0% 600+ ft
Depth statisticFeet
25th percentile64
Median86
75th percentile100
90th percentile110
Deepest on record200
Aquifer named on permitsWells
unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer104
Ogallala81

How much water do wells make near Arriba?

0% under 1 gpm11% 1–5 gpm37% 5–15 gpm53% 15+ gpm
Yield statisticgpm
25th percentile11.0
Median15.0
75th percentile38.5
Median depth to water70 ft
Median water level by decadeDepth to water
Not enough dated measurements

Arriba well depth: shallow by local standards

Arriba's recorded wells are mostly shallow. Sixty-nine percent are under 100 feet, while the middle half falls between 64 and 100 feet. The deepest well in the records is 200 feet, and no recorded wells fall in the 300-to-600-foot or deeper categories.

For a driller's bid, that depth pattern is useful but not a guarantee. A median well around 86 feet gives a reasonable planning point for ordinary plains ground. Local changes in alluvium, sedimentary rock, or fractured bedrock can still move the final depth. Compare nearby permits around Arriba, Flagler, and Genoa rather than relying on one parcel's closest well.

What Arriba wells produce

The reported yield median is 15.0 gallons per minute, with the middle half from 11.0 to 38.5 gallons per minute. In the available records, 53% report more than 15 gallons per minute, 37% fall from 5 to 15 gallons per minute, and 11% fall from 1 to 5 gallons per minute. None report less than 1 gallon per minute.

That is a favorable local yield picture, but it is based on only 19 reported pump yields. Ask for the well test, recovery information, storage design, and permitted use. A strong pump rate does not automatically establish legal availability for irrigation or other expanded uses.

Water levels near Arriba and what the records show

Only 3 wells report a static water level, so the local water-level sample is limited. Those records show a median depth to water of 70 feet, with the middle half from 54 to 74 feet. This gives a planning reference for pump setting and construction, not a dependable measurement for every lot.

The available facts do not provide enough water-level observations by decade to call a dropping or stable water table. A buyer should have the driller review nearby static levels and confirm the expected seasonal conditions. The named aquifers are split between unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifer wells and Ogallala wells; no recorded wells use a Denver Basin aquifer.

Arriba permit history and the drillers on record

The records include 189 permitted wells, with 81 recorded as constructed and 110 reporting a total depth. Activity is uneven across the decades: the largest group is the 2010s with 61 permits, followed by the 1980s and 1990s with 23 each. The newest permit year is 2024.

Eastwood Drilling, listed with Eastwood, Francis, appears most often with 26 wells. Authorized, listed with Pe and Pg, appears on 20, and Hamacher Well Works Inc, listed with Hamacher, Alan Ray, appears on 10. These are permit-record names, not a guarantee of current availability or a recommendation. Confirm licensing, insurance, scope, and references before signing.

What a new well may cost near Arriba

The local cost model assumes alluvium and plains sedimentary rock at roughly $35 to $55 per foot. At the 86-foot median depth, the drilled hole models at about $3,000 to $4,700. That is only the hole. A finished well with pump, pressure tank, trenching, and electrical is modeled at about $9,000 to $16,700.

Use those figures as a budgeting range, not a bid. A written proposal should state the drilling depth allowance, casing and grout, pump size, testing, electrical distance, trenching, permits, and what happens if the hole must go deeper or is unsuccessful. Long access routes or difficult building sites can add work beyond the well itself.

Risks to check before buying an Arriba lot

The records show 0 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 0 historic mine features, and 0 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites mapped within about 10 miles. That is useful screening information, but it does not prove a particular well is safe. Test the existing water for bacteria, nitrate, and other contaminants recommended for the property's setting.

Low-yield and dry-hole risk cannot be eliminated by a nearby median. Confirm the well's construction, casing, grout, pump performance, and water quality. Check septic setbacks, available replacement-area requirements, driveway access for a rig, and the proposed building footprint. Domestic and household uses make up 22% of permits, while stock use makes up 30%; the permit must match your intended use.

Well permits by decade near Arriba

Decade permittedWells
1950s3
1960s2
1970s6
1980s23
1990s23
2000s5
2010s61
2020s5
Most active drillers on recordWells
Eastwood Drilling (Eastwood, Francis)26
Authorized (Pe, Pg)20
Hamacher Well Works Inc (Hamacher, Alan Ray)10

What a new well costs in Arriba, CO

Estimated cost of a new well · Arriba, CO · median depth 86 ft
State & county well permit DWR application + county fee
$100–$400
Drilling, casing & grouting 86 ft × $35–$55/ft in alluvium and plains sedimentary rock
$3,000–$4,700
Pump, pressure tank & install scales with depth
$3,000–$8,000
Trenching, water line, electrical, water test
$2,100–$8,400
Typical finished total
$9,000–$16,700

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 (100 ft) would run roughly $9,500–$17,500. See the full Colorado well cost guide.

Environmental sites mapped within about 10 miles

0PFAS sampling / contamination sites
0historic mine features
0EPA Superfund & cleanup sites

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.

See every well near a specific address in Arriba

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 Arriba
Building or improving land near Arriba?

Tri-Lakes Contracting

Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Arriba-area projects with access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems, and custom homes. Bring the well, septic, access, and building plans together before construction starts.

Licensed Colorado custom home builder · licensed driveway & excavation contractor · licensed septic installer

Buying land near Arriba? Know what it costs to build before you buy the dirt.

A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Arriba 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.

What the wrong lot can cost you · the things a listing never mentions
Long or steep driveway & access
$25k–$80k+
Rock excavation & extra earthwork
$15k–$60k+
Engineered / advanced septic instead of conventional
+$20k–$40k
Water & long utility runs
$10k–$50k+
A feasibility report
from $99

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.

Tell us about your project

Driveway, site work, septic or a build near Arriba. Licensed GC, excavator and septic installer.

Got it. Tri-Lakes will get back to you shortly.

Something went wrong sending that. Email kyle@trilakes.co instead.

Common questions about wells in Arriba

How deep are wells in Arriba, Colorado?

Wells within five miles of Arriba have a median reported depth of 86 feet. The middle half ranges from 64 to 100 feet, and 69% are under 100 feet. The deepest recorded well is 200 feet. Those figures support planning for a relatively shallow well, but local geology and the exact lot can still change the drilling depth.

How much does it cost to drill a well in Arriba?

The local model uses $35-$55 per foot. At the 86-foot median depth, the drilled hole is modeled at about $3,000-$4,700. A finished well with pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is modeled at $9,000-$16,700. Get a written bid that identifies casing, grout, testing, electrical distance, and costs if drilling goes deeper.

How much water do wells produce near Arriba?

Among the 19 wells with reported pump yields, the median is 15.0 gallons per minute and the middle half ranges from 11.0 to 38.5 gallons per minute. Fifty-three percent report more than 15 gallons per minute. The sample is limited, so request the neighboring well test and confirm the permitted use before depending on that production.

Is well water safe in Arriba, Colorado?

Mapped screening records show 0 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 0 historic mine features, and 0 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites within about 10 miles. That does not certify individual well water. Test the well for bacteria, nitrate, and other locally appropriate contaminants, especially before drinking it or using it for a new household.

What should I check before buying land with a well near Arriba?

Review the well permit, construction report, pump test, static water level, water-quality results, and permitted use. Arriba records show a median static water depth of 70 feet, but only 3 wells report static levels. Also confirm septic setbacks, access for drilling equipment, electrical routing, and whether the existing well supports your planned household, stock, or other use.

Keep researching

More in Lincoln County

All wells in Lincoln County — county-wide depth, yield and cost figures.

Nearby areas

Driveway, septic, site work or a build near Arriba?Licensed GC, excavator & septic installer. Tell us what you need — 30 seconds.