Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Otero County › Cheraw
Cheraw sits on the plains, where well records show a sharp split between shallow wells and a smaller group of very deep wells. The median reported depth is 52 feet, and the middle half runs from 40 to 60 feet. However, 16% of recorded wells are 600 feet or deeper, with the deepest record reaching 1,082 feet.
That range matters when you price a property or request a drilling bid. The records also show generally strong reported yields, but only 11 wells report pump yield and 6 report static water level. Treat this as a local planning guide, not a guarantee for a particular lot.
Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for permitted wells within 5 miles of Cheraw. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.
| Depth statistic | Feet |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 40 |
| Median | 52 |
| 75th percentile | 60 |
| 90th percentile | 700 |
| Deepest on record | 1,082 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 233 |
| Dakota | 6 |
| Alluvial | 2 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 12.5 |
| Median | 15.0 |
| 75th percentile | 43.5 |
| Median depth to water | 21 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| Not enough dated measurements | — |
Most Cheraw-area wells are shallow on paper: 82% are under 100 feet, and the middle half of reported depths is only 40 to 60 feet. For a typical property, that supports asking a driller for a shallow-well estimate first, while keeping enough contingency for local variation.
The unusual part is the deep end. 16% of wells reach 600 feet or more, and the deepest recorded well is 1,082 feet. Only 2% fall between 100 and 300 feet, with none recorded between 300 and 600 feet. Permits name mostly unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifer sources, along with a small number of Dakota and alluvial wells. That mix helps explain why nearby records do not produce one dependable depth for every parcel.
The reported yield picture is favorable, but the sample is limited. The median pump yield is 15.0 gallons per minute, and the middle half ranges from 12.5 to 43.5 gallons per minute. Among the 11 wells that report a pump yield, 73% report more than 15 gallons per minute, while 27% report between 5 and 15 gallons per minute.
No reported wells fall below 5 gallons per minute in this dataset. That does not eliminate low-yield or dry-hole risk on an untested lot. Ask for the neighboring well logs, the permitted use, pump-test information and any production history. A household well also needs the right permit terms; an exempt household-use well is not an unrestricted irrigation source.
Reported static water levels are close to the surface. The median depth to water is 21 feet, with the middle half between 19 and 24 feet. Those figures can help a contractor think through casing, pump setting and excavation, but they are not a guarantee of the water level at your lot or at every season.
The available records do not provide enough water-level observations by decade to establish a local declining trend. Only 6 wells report a static water level, so do not assume the table is rising or falling from this dataset alone. A driller should review nearby logs and current field conditions. In plains sediment and alluvial settings, the water-bearing interval, irrigation history and well construction can matter as much as distance between parcels.
Colorado DWR records contain 246 permitted wells within 5 miles of Cheraw, with 175 recorded as constructed and 182 reporting a total depth. Permits span the 1950s through the 2020s, and the newest permit year is 2025. The largest decade in the record is the 2000s, with 73 permits.
Recorded uses are mixed: domestic or household wells account for 34%, stock for 30%, irrigation for 9% and monitoring for 30%. The most active named drillers in these records are Authorized (Pe, Pg), Broce Drilling (Broce, Frank R.) and Heinlein, W O. Permit history is useful background, but confirm the current permit, intended use and whether an augmentation plan is required in the applicable water district.
For Cheraw’s alluvium and plains sedimentary rock, the supplied drilling model uses a typical rate of $35 to $55 per foot. At the local median depth of 52 feet, the drilled hole models at about $1,800 to $2,900. That is only the hole, not a working water system.
A finished well with pump, pressure tank, trenching and electrical is modeled at about $7,800 to $14,900 at that median depth. Deep records change the budget quickly, so a property with a nearby 600-foot or deeper well deserves a separate bid rather than a median-depth assumption. Get the estimate in writing and ask what casing, grout, pump capacity, testing, mobilization, trench length and electrical work are included.
There are environmental items worth checking before you commit. Within about 10 miles of Cheraw, the map shows 12 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 8 historic mine features and 7 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites. A mapped site does not prove contamination in your well, but it is a reason to review location, groundwater direction and available sampling before closing.
Low yield and dry holes remain possible despite the strong reported yields, because only 11 wells report pump yield and the records include widely different depths. Have the well location, septic area, driveway and building envelope evaluated together. Test existing water where possible, and plan proper casing and grout. If the parcel is in an over-appropriated basin, confirm whether an augmentation plan or other water-right condition affects the proposed use.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 26 |
| 1960s | 11 |
| 1970s | 13 |
| 1980s | 1 |
| 1990s | 18 |
| 2000s | 73 |
| 2010s | 30 |
| 2020s | 13 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Authorized (Pe, Pg) | 24 |
| Broce Drilling (Broce, Frank R.) | 17 |
| Heinlein, W O | 14 |
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 (60 ft) would run roughly $8,100–$15,300. 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 CherawTri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Cheraw and the surrounding plains for access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems and custom homes. Bring the well, septic, driveway and building layout together early so the site can be planned as one project.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Cheraw 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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Cheraw well records show a median depth of 52 feet, with the middle half between 40 and 60 feet. Most, or 82%, are under 100 feet. The area also has a deep group: 16% reach 600 feet or more, and the deepest recorded well is 1,082 feet.
The local cost model uses $35 to $55 per foot for alluvium and plains sedimentary rock. At the 52-foot median depth, the drilled hole is modeled at about $1,800 to $2,900. A finished system with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is about $7,800 to $14,900. Deep wells require a separate estimate.
Among the 11 Cheraw-area wells reporting pump yield, the median is 15.0 gallons per minute, with a middle half from 12.5 to 43.5 gallons per minute. The records show 73% above 15 gallons per minute and 27% between 5 and 15 gallons per minute. These records do not guarantee a new well’s production.
Safety depends on the individual well and test results. The area map includes 12 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 8 historic mine features and 7 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites within about 10 miles. Those locations do not prove contamination at your property. Test the well, review nearby environmental records and inspect casing, grout and septic conditions.
Review the Colorado DWR permit, construction record, permitted use, depth and any pump-test information. Within 5 miles, records include 246 permitted wells, but only 11 report pump yield and 6 report static water level. Check neighboring wells, water quality, septic and building locations, and confirm whether an augmentation plan or other water-right condition applies.
All wells in Otero County — county-wide depth, yield and cost figures.
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