Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Bent County
A shallow well is common in Bent County, but it is not something to promise before checking the lot. The countywide median depth is 80 ft, while the middle half of reported depths spans 34-300 ft. That spread makes nearby well records more useful for budgeting than the county median alone.
Colorado DWR records contain 2,273 permitted wells here, with 1,567 recorded as constructed. For property around Las Animas, McClave or Hasty, start with the wells closest to the parcel and then check their depth, completion details and permitted use.
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 | 34 |
| Median | 80 |
| 75th percentile | 300 |
| 90th percentile | 405 |
| Deepest on record | 1,040 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 1,864 |
| Dakota | 155 |
| Cheyenne | 103 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 10.0 |
| Median | 15.0 |
| 75th percentile | 30.0 |
| Median depth to water | 32 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 2020s | 60 ft |
Of the 1,627 wells reporting depth, 52% are under 100 ft. Another 22% fall in the 100-300 ft band, and 24% fall in the 300-600 ft band. The 90th-percentile depth is 405 ft. For a drilling bid, that means the shallow county median is a starting point—not a dependable depth allowance for every parcel.
Bent County has alluvium and plains sedimentary rock. Permits name the Dakota aquifer for 155 wells and the Cheyenne for 103. Most carry an unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer label; that broad record category does not establish the geology beneath your lot. Compare nearby completion logs and ask which water-bearing formation the driller intends to target.
The reported median pump yield is 15.0 gpm, with the middle half at 10.0-30.0 gpm. Those figures suggest useful household production among the wells with yield records, but only 257 wells report a yield. They are not a performance guarantee for the rest of Bent County.
The reported share under 1 gpm is 0%, while 7% fall in the 1-5 gpm band. That does not prove low-producing or unsuccessful wells are absent. Before buying, have the existing well tested for sustained output and recovery. A permit-record yield is not the same as current capacity, and a productive well still cannot legally supply uses its permit does not authorize.
Static water level measures the depth to standing water when the well is not pumping. Bent County’s reported median is 32 ft below ground, with the middle half spanning 14-150 ft. Those measurements come from only 48 wells, so they provide a limited view of conditions across the county.
A well may extend well below its standing water level to reach and complete the producing formation. Pump placement also depends on what happens to that level during use. These countywide measurements do not establish a rising or falling water-table trend. For a purchase, request dated measurements from the same well and compare static conditions with pumping drawdown and recovery.
The listed permit history rises from 56 permits in the 1950s to 316 in the 1990s, then reaches 493 in the 2000s. It falls to 216 in the 2010s; the 2020s show 78, with the newest permit dated 2025. The latest decade is incomplete, so it should not be treated as a finished comparison.
The most active names in the records are Hoffman (Hoffman, Earl), with 312 entries; Authorized (Pe, Pg), with 184; and Broce Drilling (Broce, Frank R.), with 79. These are historical record labels, not a verified list of currently available drillers. Permit issuance also does not establish that a well was completed or remains in service.
The local cost model uses $35-$55 per foot for drilling through alluvium and plains sedimentary rock. At the 80 ft median depth, the drilled hole is about $2,800-$4,400. A finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is modeled at $8,800-$16,400.
That finished range is a planning allowance, not a parcel-specific quote. The 34-300 ft middle depth range leaves substantial room for the actual drilling scope to change. Ask for a written bid that separates drilling, casing and grout, pump equipment, trenching and electrical work. Confirm how added depth, difficult ground, access work and an unsuccessful hole would be charged before equipment arrives.
The environmental map identifies 6 PFAS sampling/contamination sites, 6 historic mine features and 4 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites within about 10 miles. Those mapped features are reasons to investigate—not proof that a particular Bent County well is contaminated. Review each relevant site’s status and have a laboratory test the property’s water, with testing tailored to local concerns.
Inspect the wellhead, casing condition, drainage and available construction records. Poor surface protection can matter even when the aquifer produces enough water. For a new build, plan the well, septic system, house and access together so required separations and maintenance access remain workable. Ask the driller about low-yield and dry-hole contingencies rather than assuming the reported yields eliminate those risks.
Start with the parcel’s actual DWR permit, not the listing’s description of “a well.” Bent County’s recorded use mix includes domestic/household at 37%, stock at 37% and irrigation at 21%. A nearby stock or irrigation well may offer useful geological information without demonstrating that your proposed household, livestock or outdoor watering use will be allowed.
Check neighboring wells around Las Animas, McClave or Hasty for comparable formations and completion depths. Do not substitute an Otero County or Prowers County average for local evidence. Before closing, confirm permitted uses with DWR, obtain construction and pump records, and arrange water-quality and production testing. For an undeveloped lot, resolve water authorization and septic feasibility before committing to a house layout.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 56 |
| 1960s | 96 |
| 1970s | 140 |
| 1980s | 158 |
| 1990s | 316 |
| 2000s | 493 |
| 2010s | 216 |
| 2020s | 78 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Hoffman (Hoffman, Earl) | 312 |
| Authorized (Pe, Pg) | 184 |
| Broce Drilling (Broce, Frank R.) | 79 |
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 (300 ft) would run roughly $16,500–$28,500. 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 Bent CountyFor a Bent County lot near Las Animas, McClave or Hasty, Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor for access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems and custom homes. Coordinate that work with the well location and drilling access before finalizing the site plan.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Bent 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.
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Bent County’s median reported well depth is 80 ft, and the middle half spans 34-300 ft. Of wells reporting depth, 52% are under 100 ft, but the 90th-percentile depth is 405 ft. Check nearby completion logs before budgeting: the county includes alluvium and sedimentary-rock wells with substantially different drilling requirements.
The Bent County model uses $35-$55 per foot. At the 80 ft median depth, the drilled hole is about $2,800-$4,400, while a finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is about $8,800-$16,400. Actual bids need to account for the parcel’s expected depth, casing requirements, access and utility connections.
Among the 257 wells with reported pump yields, the median is 15.0 gpm and the middle half is 10.0-30.0 gpm. The records show 7% in the 1-5 gpm band. Have the property’s well tested for sustained production and recovery; a historical yield does not establish current performance or permitted water use.
Safety cannot be determined from a permit or depth record. The local map identifies 6 PFAS sampling/contamination sites and 4 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites within about 10 miles, but proximity does not establish contamination at your well. Obtain laboratory testing, review relevant environmental records and inspect the wellhead and surface drainage before relying on the supply.
The median reported static water level is 32 ft below ground, with the middle half at 14-150 ft. Only 48 wells report this measurement, and it is not the same as total well depth. These records alone do not establish a countywide trend; dated measurements from the property’s well are more useful for evaluating change.
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