Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Mesa County › Clifton
Well records within 5 miles of Clifton show a shallow but highly variable local groundwater picture. Among 691 permitted wells, the median reported depth is 20 feet, and the middle half runs from 15 to 30 feet. That does not mean every lot has easy water. Most records are monitoring wells, not household wells, and only 25 wells report a pump yield.
For a buyer, the useful starting point is the nearby well map, not a countywide average. Fruitvale, Orchard Mesa, Grand Junction, Palisade, Redlands and Fruita can provide context, but the neighboring parcels closest to a property usually matter most.
Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for permitted wells within 5 miles of Clifton. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.
| Depth statistic | Feet |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 15 |
| Median | 20 |
| 75th percentile | 30 |
| 90th percentile | 51 |
| Deepest on record | 4,629 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 626 |
| Alluvial | 37 |
| Mancos | 1 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 0.1 |
| Median | 0.1 |
| 75th percentile | 13.0 |
| Median depth to water | 10 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 ft |
| 2020s | 27 ft |
Clifton’s recorded wells are generally shallow. Ninety-three percent are under 100 feet, while 4% fall from 100 to 300 feet, 1% from 300 to 600 feet, and 2% are deeper than 600 feet. The deepest recorded well reaches 4,629 feet, so the range is not something a contractor should ignore.
The 20-foot median and 15-to-30-foot middle half can help frame a bid for a simple shallow hole, but they are not a guarantee for a domestic well. The aquifer designation is unnamed or fractured-bedrock for 626 wells, while 37 are listed as alluvial and one as Mancos. Ground conditions, the exact lot, casing and grout requirements, and the intended use will control the final design.
Reported yield is the biggest caution in these records. The median is 0.1 gallons per minute, with a middle half from 0.1 to 13.0 gallons per minute. Sixty-eight percent of reported wells are under 1 gallon per minute, 8% produce from 5 to 15 gallons per minute, and 24% report more than 15 gallons per minute. No wells are shown in the 1-to-5 gallon-per-minute category.
Those figures come from only 25 yield reports, so they describe recorded results rather than every Clifton well. A buyer should ask for the well permit, construction report, pump test and storage setup. A low-producing well may still work with adequate tank storage, but it can be a poor fit for irrigation, livestock or a larger home.
The median static water level is 10 feet below ground, with the middle half between 8 and 28 feet. That is a shallow water level in the available records, but only 31 wells report one. Measurements also vary with location, season, well construction and the date of measurement.
The decade comparison deserves attention: the median reported level was 5 feet below ground in the 2000s and 27 feet below ground in the 2020s. That pattern is consistent with deeper measured water levels in the later records, but it does not prove a basin-wide decline because the wells and measurement conditions may differ. Before buying, compare nearby logs and ask for recent measurements from the specific property.
Permit activity has been uneven over time. The records show 2 permits in the 1950s, 1 in the 1960s, 8 in the 1970s, 48 in the 1980s, 147 in the 1990s, 114 in the 2000s, 182 in the 2010s and 80 in the 2020s. The newest permit year is 2024.
Authorized (Pe, Pg) is the most common driller entry, with 240 records. Owner appears on 7, and Terracon Consultants Inc. (Rogers, Richard C.) appears on 6. These entries are useful leads, not a recommendation or proof that any driller is available for a new job. Check the Colorado Division of Water Resources permit and construction records, then verify current licensing, insurance and experience with the ground on your lot.
The local cost model assumes mixed sedimentary and alluvial ground. A typical drilling rate is $50 to $75 per foot. At the 20-foot median depth, the drilled hole alone models to about $1,000 to $1,500.
That is not the price of a functioning water system. A finished well with pump, pressure tank, trenching and electrical is modeled at about $7,000 to $13,500. A deeper-than-typical hole, difficult access, extra casing or grout, water testing, storage, treatment and connection work can change the proposal. Ask each bidder to separate drilling, casing, grouting, pump equipment, trenching, electrical and testing so the low bid is not simply missing part of the system.
Low yield is the clearest recorded risk: 68% of reported yields are under 1 gallon per minute. Dry holes and poor production are possible in fractured-bedrock settings because a productive fracture may not be predictable from the surface. A driller should review nearby logs and explain what happens if the hole does not meet the intended use.
Water quality also needs site-specific testing. Within about 10 miles are 63 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 37 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites and 17 historic mine features. Their presence does not establish contamination on a particular parcel, but it supports testing before closing and again before occupancy. Confirm septic setbacks, building envelopes, access for a rig, and the location of casing and grout before finalizing a home plan.
Start with the closest permitted wells in Clifton, then compare records from Fruitvale and Orchard Mesa where the geology and development pattern may offer useful context. Give the driller the parcel, proposed house location, septic area and access route before requesting a firm estimate. A well permit from the Colorado Division of Water Resources is not the same thing as a guarantee of water quality or production.
For a household well, confirm the permitted use and any augmentation-plan requirements that apply to the water right. Do not assume a monitoring well can serve a home. Before closing, obtain the construction report, yield information, water-level history and laboratory water test when available. For a new build, coordinate the well, septic system, driveway, electrical route and storage tank so one installation does not block another.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 2 |
| 1960s | 1 |
| 1970s | 8 |
| 1980s | 48 |
| 1990s | 147 |
| 2000s | 114 |
| 2010s | 182 |
| 2020s | 80 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Authorized (Pe, Pg) | 240 |
| Owner | 7 |
| Terracon Consultants Inc. (Rogers, Richard C.) | 6 |
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 (30 ft) would run roughly $7,500–$14,250. 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 CliftonTri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Clifton and nearby Mesa County communities with access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems and custom homes. Coordinate the site work early so the well, septic system and home layout work together.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Clifton 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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The median recorded depth within 5 miles of Clifton is 20 feet, and the middle half runs from 15 to 30 feet. Ninety-three percent of recorded wells are under 100 feet. The range is still wide: the deepest record is 4,629 feet, so nearby well logs are more useful than the median alone.
The local model uses $50 to $75 per foot. At the 20-foot median depth, drilling the hole is estimated at about $1,000 to $1,500. A completed system with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is estimated at $7,000 to $13,500. Access, casing, grout, testing and unusual depth can change the bid.
Reported production is very uneven. The median yield is 0.1 gallons per minute, and 68% of reported wells are under 1 gallon per minute. The middle half ranges from 0.1 to 13.0 gallons per minute. Only 25 wells report a yield, so obtain the specific property’s pump test and plan for storage if production is low.
Safety cannot be determined from the well map alone. Within about 10 miles are 63 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 37 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites and 17 historic mine features. Those locations do not prove a parcel is affected. Test the actual well through a qualified laboratory before drinking and review nearby land uses and records.
The reported median static water level was 5 feet below ground in the 2000s and 27 feet below ground in the 2020s. That indicates deeper measured water levels in the later decade, but only 31 wells report static levels and the wells may differ. Treat it as a reason to investigate, not proof of a uniform decline across Clifton.
All wells in Mesa County — county-wide depth, yield and cost figures.
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