Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Garfield County › Carbondale
Buying land around Carbondale means evaluating more than a well permit. Records within 5 miles show how deep wells have been drilled, what reported yields look like, and how much variation exists from one location to the next. Most permitted wells serve domestic or household use, and nearly all are identified with unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifers.
The local record is generally favorable for production: the median reported yield is 15.0 gallons per minute. Depth is more variable than that headline suggests. Some wells are shallow, while others reach several hundred feet, so a nearby permit is useful evidence but not a guarantee for a new lot.
Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for permitted wells within 5 miles of Carbondale. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.
| Depth statistic | Feet |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 45 |
| Median | 85 |
| 75th percentile | 200 |
| 90th percentile | 300 |
| Deepest on record | 600 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 1,934 |
| Alluvial | 27 |
| Morrison | 1 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 14.0 |
| Median | 15.0 |
| 75th percentile | 15.0 |
| Median depth to water | 36 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 100 ft |
| 1980s | 32 ft |
| 1990s | 24 ft |
| 2000s | 18 ft |
| 2010s | 54 ft |
| 2020s | 31 ft |
The median well depth near Carbondale is 85 feet. The middle half of reported wells falls between 45 and 200 feet, meaning a driller bidding a typical site should not price every location as an unusually deep hole. Still, the spread matters when comparing lots or reviewing a drilling proposal.
About 52% of wells are under 100 feet, while 36% fall between 100 and 300 feet. Another 11% are between 300 and 600 feet, and the deepest record is 600 feet. Most permits name an unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifer, with only a small number identifying alluvial or Morrison aquifers. In fractured rock, nearby depth can help without predicting the exact point where a new well will find water.
Reported production is one of the stronger parts of the local record. The median pump yield is 15.0 gallons per minute, and the middle half is tightly grouped between 14.0 and 15.0 gallons per minute. About 74% of reported wells produce more than 15 gallons per minute, while 24% fall between 5 and 15 gallons per minute.
Only 2% report between 1 and 5 gallons per minute, and none are recorded under 1 gallon per minute. These are encouraging records for household planning near Carbondale, Mulford, Catherine, and Cattle Creek, but only 511 wells report a pump yield. Ask for the actual completion report, pump test, and water-rights conditions before treating the database median as a promise. An exempt household-use well also has a 35 gallon-per-minute pumping limit.
Recorded static water levels have a median depth of 36 feet below the surface. The middle half ranges from 15 to 131 feet, so water may stand fairly shallow in one setting and considerably deeper in another. Static level is not the same as well depth or guaranteed pumping performance; it is a measurement taken under a particular condition and date.
The decade figures do not show a simple one-way decline. Median depth to water was 100 feet in the 1970s, then 32 in the 1980s, 24 in the 1990s, and 18 in the 2000s. It was 54 in the 2010s and 31 in the 2020s. Only 193 records report a static level, so use the series as context rather than a site-specific forecast.
Permit activity extends across several generations. The records include 3 permits from the 1950s, 84 from the 1960s, 198 from the 1970s, and 226 from the 1980s. Activity peaked at 478 permits in the 1990s, followed by 337 in the 2000s, 205 in the 2010s, and 150 in the 2020s. The newest permit year is 2025.
In the recorded driller field, Shelton Drilling Corporation is listed on 681 wells, Collins Drilling Co on 279, and Mountain Drilling Co. on 68. Those names show local permit history, not a recommendation or proof that a company is available for a new job. Check the Colorado DWR permit and construction records for the specific parcel and confirm current licensing, insurance, and scope directly with any bidder.
The local cost model uses mixed sedimentary and alluvial ground and a drilling rate of $50-$75 per foot. At the median depth of 85 feet, the drilled hole alone models at about $4,200-$6,400. That is not the complete water-system price. It generally does not cover every item needed to deliver water to a house.
A finished well with pump, pressure tank, trenching, and electrical is modeled at about $10,200-$18,400. A written bid should identify casing and grout, drilling method, pump equipment, water testing, access or mobilization, trench length, electrical work, and what happens if the hole is dry or produces less than expected. The median is a planning point, not a fixed quote; depth and site access can move the final price substantially.
Low yield is not the main pattern in these records, but a database cannot remove the risk of an unsuccessful new hole. Only 1,234 wells report a total depth and only 511 report a pump yield, so the available history is incomplete. Fractured-bedrock wells can vary over short distances. Review neighboring construction reports, static levels, yields, casing, and grout before relying on a single nearby permit.
Environmental review also matters. Within about 10 miles are 12 PFAS sampling or contamination sites and 20 historic mine features. There are 0 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites in the mapped facts, but that does not replace a parcel-specific water test. Check septic setbacks, drainfield space, access for a rig, and the proposed building location. Confirm the DWR permit allows the intended use, especially in an over-appropriated basin where augmentation may be required.
Before closing, obtain the DWR permit number and construction report for the property and compare it with wells in Carbondale, Mulford, Catherine, and Cattle Creek. Look for the actual depth, static water level, yield test, pump setting, and permitted use. The local records are dominated by domestic or household permits at 73%, with stock at 9%, irrigation at 6%, and monitoring at 11%; that mix helps explain why a neighboring well may not have the same legal use you need.
For a vacant lot, get a driller's site review before assuming the 85-foot median applies. Budget for the complete system, not just the hole, and have the septic layout and house location reviewed together. Test existing water for routine quality and relevant local concerns. If the property depends on an exempt well, verify household-use limits and any augmentation or water-rights requirements before designing the home.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 3 |
| 1960s | 84 |
| 1970s | 198 |
| 1980s | 226 |
| 1990s | 478 |
| 2000s | 337 |
| 2010s | 205 |
| 2020s | 150 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Shelton Drilling Corporation (Shelton, Wayne) | 681 |
| Collins Drilling Co (Collins, F. E. "Bodie") | 279 |
| Mountain Drilling Co. (Mcvey, Ora) | 68 |
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 (200 ft) would run roughly $16,000–$27,000. 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 CarbondaleTri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Carbondale and nearby communities with access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems, and custom homes.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Carbondale 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.
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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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The median reported well depth within 5 miles of Carbondale is 85 feet. The middle half runs from 45 to 200 feet. About 52% are under 100 feet, while 11% are between 300 and 600 feet. The deepest record is 600 feet, so neighboring permits help with planning but cannot guarantee a new well depth.
The local model uses $50-$75 per foot in mixed sedimentary and alluvial ground. At the 85-foot median depth, the drilled hole is modeled at about $4,200-$6,400. A finished system with pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is about $10,200-$18,400. Access, depth, equipment, and dry-hole terms can change the bid.
The median reported pump yield is 15.0 gallons per minute, with the middle half between 14.0 and 15.0. About 74% of reported wells exceed 15 gallons per minute, while 2% produce between 1 and 5. Only 511 wells report a yield, so request the property’s pump test instead of relying only on area statistics.
The well records do not establish drinking-water safety. Within about 10 miles, the mapped facts include 12 PFAS sampling or contamination sites and 20 historic mine features. Have an existing or new well tested by a qualified laboratory, and review the site history. A permit and a strong yield do not replace water-quality testing.
The available decade data do not show a simple one-way decline. Median static water depth was 100 feet in the 1970s, 18 feet in the 2000s, 54 feet in the 2010s, and 31 feet in the 2020s. Only 193 wells report static levels, so these measurements provide regional context rather than a forecast for a specific parcel.
All wells in Garfield County — county-wide depth, yield and cost figures.
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