Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Baca County
Baca County’s well records lean heavily toward agricultural water, not household supply. Irrigation accounts for 54% of recorded uses, so the county’s high reported yields need context before you apply them to a home site.
Colorado DWR records include 5,376 permitted wells here, with 1,783 recorded as constructed. The 270-foot median depth is a useful budgeting reference, but a parcel near Springfield, Walsh or Campo needs a closer look at neighboring well logs, permitted use and current pumping performance.
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 | 175 |
| Median | 270 |
| 75th percentile | 392 |
| 90th percentile | 496 |
| Deepest on record | 4,249 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 2,779 |
| Southern High Plains | 707 |
| Ogallala | 657 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 172.5 |
| Median | 650.0 |
| 75th percentile | 1000.0 |
| Median depth to water | 134 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 76 ft |
| 1960s | 90 ft |
| 1970s | 64 ft |
| 2010s | 80 ft |
| 2020s | 180 ft |
Among 3,198 wells reporting depth, Baca County’s median is 270 feet. The middle half runs from 175 to 392 feet. For a drilling bid, that means allowing for a substantial depth range rather than pricing every lot at the county median. The 90th-percentile depth is 496 feet; the deepest record, 4,249 feet, is not a sensible residential budget target.
Alluvium and plains sedimentary rock make the local water-bearing layers important. Permits name Southern High Plains and Ogallala aquifers, while many use an unnamed / fractured-bedrock category. That broad record label does not establish granite conditions on your parcel. Compare nearby completion logs for water-bearing intervals, casing and total depth before setting a target.
The 915 records with pump yields report a median of 650.0 gpm and a middle half of 172.5–1000.0 gpm. Those figures belong to a countywide dataset where irrigation represents 54% of uses, stock 27% and domestic/household use 12%. They are not a forecast for a new domestic well.
Reported yields fall below 1 gpm in 1% of records, with another 1% in the 1–5 gpm band. Low-output wells exist even in this high-yield dataset. For a buyer, a low-yield result means investigating sustained output, recovery and possible storage needs before committing. A historical pump-yield entry is neither a current pumping test nor permission to withdraw that amount.
Static water level is the depth to resting water, not the bottom of the well. Among 212 reporting records, the median is 134 feet below ground, and the middle half spans 43–195 feet. Pump selection also needs the water level under pumping, which a static measurement does not provide.
Decade medians were 76 feet in the 1950s, 90 in the 1960s, 64 in the 1970s, 80 in the 2010s and 180 in the 2020s. The recent readings suggest deeper water, but this is not a steady downward trend or a same-well monitoring series. Different wells and locations may affect the comparison. Request dated measurements and a current pumping test for the property itself.
Baca County’s permit history includes 955 permits issued in the 1960s and 782 in the 1970s. More recent records show 563 in the 2010s and 274 in the 2020s, with the newest permit dated 2025. The latest decade is incomplete, so its total should not be compared as though it covers the same period.
The most active drillers in these records are Ralph'S Welding (Woods, Ralph R), with 226 entries; Hegwood Drilling (Hegwood, Spencer), with 201; and Konkel Drilling (Konkel, David Leroy), with 132. These are historical record counts, not confirmation of current availability. Ask prospective drillers about recent work near your parcel and familiarity with its likely aquifer.
The Baca County cost model uses $35–$55 per foot for drilling through alluvium and plains sedimentary rock. At the 270-foot median depth, that puts the drilled hole at about $9,400–$14,800. A finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is estimated at $15,400–$26,800.
Use those figures as a planning range, not a parcel-specific quote. The 175–392-foot middle depth range leaves meaningful room for the drilling portion to change. Ask bidders to spell out casing, grout, well development, testing and pump equipment, along with how additional depth is charged. On a lot outside Springfield or Walsh, confirm the proposed well location and utility route before comparing finished-system prices.
Mapped environmental records within about 10 miles include 18 PFAS sampling/contamination sites and 4 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites. These entries are reasons to investigate location and testing history; they do not establish that a particular well is contaminated. A sampling site is not automatically a confirmed contamination source.
Have a qualified laboratory test the property’s water, including bacteria and nitrate, and discuss PFAS testing in light of nearby site information. Inspect the wellhead, casing and surface drainage. For new construction, coordinate the well, septic system, replacement area and building footprint before excavation. Even with strong county yield figures, address low-yield or unsuccessful drilling in the contract rather than assuming usable water is guaranteed.
Start with the actual parcel, not a countywide average. Around Campo, Vilas, Two Buttes or Pritchett, compare neighboring permits and completion logs for depth, aquifer, reported yield and measurement dates. Then match the seller’s well to its DWR permit and construction documents.
Confirm that the permitted use covers your plans. Do not assume a household well authorizes irrigation or every livestock use; exempt-well restrictions and augmentation requirements may affect what is possible. For an existing well, obtain current pumping and water-quality results. For an unbuilt lot, establish permit feasibility, drilling access, septic suitability and a written well budget before treating the land as ready to build.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 210 |
| 1960s | 955 |
| 1970s | 782 |
| 1980s | 176 |
| 1990s | 357 |
| 2000s | 587 |
| 2010s | 563 |
| 2020s | 274 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Ralph'S Welding (Woods, Ralph R) | 226 |
| Hegwood Drilling (Hegwood, Spencer) | 201 |
| Konkel Drilling (Konkel, David Leroy) | 132 |
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 (392 ft) would run roughly $19,720–$33,560. 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 Baca CountyFor a Baca County lot, well access and septic placement should be coordinated with the home site before excavation. Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor for access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems and custom homes.
Licensed Colorado custom home builder · licensed driveway & excavation contractor · licensed septic installer
A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Baca 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 Baca County. 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.
The median reported well depth in Baca County is 270 feet, based on 3,198 depth records. The middle half spans 175–392 feet, and the 90th percentile is 496 feet. Those figures help frame a drilling budget, but neighboring completion logs and the parcel’s water-bearing layers are better guides for an individual site.
The local model estimates drilling at $35–$55 per foot. At the 270-foot median depth, the drilled hole costs about $9,400–$14,800, while a finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is about $15,400–$26,800. Get a site-specific quote that identifies casing, grout, testing and charges for additional depth.
Reported pump yields have a 650.0 gpm median, but irrigation makes up 54% of recorded uses, so that is not a household-well expectation. Among reporting wells, 1% produce under 1 gpm and 1% fall in the 1–5 gpm band. Verify sustained output and recovery with a current pumping test, and check the permit’s authorized use.
County records cannot establish the safety of an individual well. Mapped records within about 10 miles include 18 PFAS sampling/contamination sites and 4 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites, but proximity alone does not prove contamination. Test the property’s water for bacteria and nitrate, discuss PFAS testing with a qualified laboratory, and inspect wellhead protection and nearby septic conditions.
The decade medians suggest deeper water recently: reported static levels were 80 feet below ground in the 2010s and 180 feet in the 2020s. Earlier decades fluctuate, however, and these are not necessarily repeated measurements from the same wells. Treat the pattern as a reason to investigate, not proof of a specific property’s decline.
Driveway, septic, site development, feasibility or a custom build near Baca County.
Shopping a lot? Run the $99 instant buildability check →