Local well records explained

Battlement Mesa Colorado Well Guide

Colorado Well FinderWells by countyGarfield County › Battlement Mesa

Buying land or a home in Battlement Mesa means looking past the permit and asking what nearby wells actually do. Records within five miles show a median well depth of 122 feet, a median reported yield of 14 gallons per minute, and a median static water level of 73 feet.

Those figures come from different subsets of the permit records, so they are a starting point rather than a guarantee for a specific lot. Most wells are completed in unnamed fractured-bedrock aquifers, and the local records include domestic, stock, irrigation, and monitoring wells. Check the closest comparable wells before setting a budget or signing a purchase contract.

701wells in DWR permit records
122 ftmedian well depth
63–180 ftmiddle half of well depths
14.0 gpmmedian pump yield
73 ftmedian depth to water
2026newest permit on record

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

How deep are wells around Battlement Mesa?

39% under 100 ft59% 100–300 ft2% 300–600 ft0% 600+ ft
Depth statisticFeet
25th percentile63
Median122
75th percentile180
90th percentile220
Deepest on record390
Aquifer named on permitsWells
unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer671
Wasatch-Fort Union27
Green River1

How much water do wells make near Battlement Mesa?

1% under 1 gpm6% 1–5 gpm46% 5–15 gpm47% 15+ gpm
Yield statisticgpm
25th percentile10.0
Median14.0
75th percentile15.0
Median depth to water73 ft
Median water level by decadeDepth to water
2000s22 ft

Battlement Mesa well depths and the ground below

Wells around Battlement Mesa have a median reported depth of 122 feet. The middle half runs from 63 to 180 feet, and the deepest recorded well reaches 390 feet. About 39% are under 100 feet, while 59% fall between 100 and 300 feet. Only 2% are between 300 and 600 feet, and none are recorded at 600 feet or deeper.

For a driller's bid, the 122-foot median is useful, but the 63-to-180-foot middle range is more practical. It shows that neighboring lots can require noticeably different drilling depths. Mixed sedimentary and alluvial ground is the local cost model, while many permits name an unnamed fractured-bedrock aquifer. Fractured rock can change quickly from one location to the next, so nearby well logs matter more than a countywide average.

What Battlement Mesa wells produce

Among wells reporting a pump yield, the median is 14.0 gallons per minute, with the middle half from 10.0 to 15.0 gallons per minute. The records show 47% producing more than 15 gallons per minute and 46% producing between 5 and 15 gallons per minute. Only 1% report less than 1 gallon per minute, while 6% report between 1 and 5 gallons per minute.

That is a generally useful production profile for a household well, but the yield data cover 127 wells rather than every permitted well. A strong test result is not the same as a guaranteed long-term supply. Ask for the well construction report, pump test information, and any restrictions tied to the permit. An exempt household-use well still has a 35-gallon-per-minute pumping limit.

Water levels in the Battlement Mesa records

Reported static water levels have a median depth of 73 feet, with the middle half from 23 to 133 feet below ground. This gives a rough idea of where standing water has been measured, but only 25 permits report a static water level. It is not enough to treat the median as the water level for every lot.

The permit counts by decade show drilling activity, not a water-level trend. Records include 2 permits from the 1950s, 5 from the 1960s, 63 from the 1970s, 84 from the 1980s, 191 from the 1990s, 162 from the 2000s, 72 from the 2010s, and 21 from the 2020s. Those figures do not establish that the water table is dropping or rising. Request current measurements and compare nearby wells in the same ground formation.

Who drilled near Battlement Mesa and when

The permit history is concentrated in the later decades, with the largest recorded group issued in the 1990s. The newest permit year is 2026, so the local file includes both older construction records and recent activity. There are 701 wells in the Colorado DWR permit records, 355 recorded as constructed, and 445 reporting a total depth.

In the listed drilling records, Shelton Drilling Corporation, associated with Shelton, Wayne, appears most often with 227 wells. Authorized, listed as Pe, Pg, appears with 49, and Collins Drilling Co, associated with Collins, F. E. “Bodie,” appears with 21. These records show who appears in the permit history, not who is available for a new job. Have a prospective driller review the nearest logs, casing, grout, and aquifer description before pricing the hole.

What a new Battlement Mesa well may cost

The local cost model uses a typical drilling rate of $50 to $75 per foot for mixed sedimentary and alluvial ground. At the 122-foot median depth, the drilled hole works out to about $6,100 to $9,200. That is only the drilling portion.

A finished system with the pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is modeled at about $12,100 to $21,200 at the median depth. The final bid can move when the well is deeper, access is difficult, casing or grout requirements change, or the site needs longer utility runs. Use the 63-to-180-foot middle depth range when comparing bids, and ask each contractor to separate drilling from pump, electrical, trenching, and other completion work.

Risks to check before building or buying

Low yield is not the main pattern in the reported records, but it remains a lot-specific risk because only 127 wells report pump yield. A dry hole or poor-producing well is possible, particularly where fractured bedrock changes over short distances. A permit and a nearby producing well do not guarantee the same result on your parcel.

Water quality also deserves independent testing. Mapped environmental information within about 10 miles includes 900 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 10 historic mine features, and 1 EPA Superfund or cleanup site. That does not prove a private well is contaminated, but it is a reason to test the existing well and review the site history. Confirm septic setbacks, building locations, access for a drill rig, and the applicable DWR permit before closing.

Buying or building near Parachute and Rifle

Start with the closest comparable permits, not the overall Battlement Mesa median. Compare total depth, static water level, reported yield, aquifer name, casing, grout, and construction date. Records from Parachute, about three miles away, may be useful context, while Rifle, De Beque, Collbran, Silt, and Mesa sit farther out and may reflect different ground conditions.

For an existing home, obtain the well permit, construction report, pump information, water-quality results, and maintenance history. For vacant land, make the well location and septic layout part of the feasibility work before designing the house. A Colorado DWR permit governs the allowed use; an augmentation plan may be needed in an over-appropriated basin. Have a licensed driller and septic professional verify the lot before you rely on a budget or water assumption.

Well permits by decade near Battlement Mesa

Decade permittedWells
1950s2
1960s5
1970s63
1980s84
1990s191
2000s162
2010s72
2020s21
Most active drillers on recordWells
Shelton Drilling Corporation (Shelton, Wayne)227
Authorized (Pe, Pg)49
Collins Drilling Co (Collins, F. E. "Bodie")21

What a new well costs in Battlement Mesa, CO

Estimated cost of a new well · Battlement Mesa, CO · median depth 122 ft
State & county well permit DWR application + county fee
$100–$400
Drilling, casing & grouting 122 ft × $50–$75/ft in mixed sedimentary and alluvial ground
$6,100–$9,200
Pump, pressure tank & install scales with depth
$3,000–$8,000
Trenching, water line, electrical, water test
$2,100–$8,400
Typical finished total
$12,100–$21,200

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 (180 ft) would run roughly $15,000–$25,500. See the full Colorado well cost guide.

Environmental sites mapped within about 10 miles

900PFAS sampling / contamination sites
10historic mine features
1EPA 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 Battlement Mesa

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 Battlement Mesa
Building or improving land near Battlement Mesa?

Tri-Lakes Contracting

Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Battlement Mesa with access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems, and custom homes. Their early site review can help coordinate the well, septic layout, utilities, and building work.

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

Buying land near Battlement Mesa? 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 Battlement Mesa 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 Battlement Mesa. Licensed GC, excavator and septic installer.

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Common questions about wells in Battlement Mesa

How deep are wells in Battlement Mesa?

The median reported well depth near Battlement Mesa is 122 feet. The middle half runs from 63 to 180 feet, with the deepest recorded well at 390 feet. About 39% are under 100 feet and 59% are between 100 and 300 feet. A nearby log is more useful than the median for pricing a specific parcel.

How much does it cost to drill a well in Battlement Mesa?

The local model uses $50 to $75 per foot. At the 122-foot median depth, drilling alone is estimated at $6,100 to $9,200. A finished well including pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is estimated at $12,100 to $21,200. Deeper drilling, difficult access, and longer utility work can change the bid.

How much water do wells produce in Battlement Mesa?

Reported yields have a 14.0-gallon-per-minute median, with the middle half between 10.0 and 15.0 gallons per minute. The records show 47% above 15 gallons per minute and 1% under 1 gallon per minute. Only 127 wells report a pump yield, so request the specific well test rather than relying only on area statistics.

Is well water safe to drink in Battlement Mesa?

Area statistics cannot certify an individual well. Mapped sites within about 10 miles include 900 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 10 historic mine features, and 1 EPA Superfund or cleanup site. Test the well for relevant contaminants and general drinking-water quality, especially before buying. A permit or producing pump does not establish that water is safe to drink.

What should I check before buying land with a well in Battlement Mesa?

Review the DWR permit, construction report, total depth, static water level, pump yield, casing, grout, and water tests. The local median static water level is 73 feet, but only 25 permits report one. Confirm septic setbacks, access for drilling or repairs, and whether the intended use is allowed. An augmentation plan may apply in an over-appropriated basin.

Keep researching

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