Eldora, Colorado Well Depth, Yield, and Cost

How deep are wells around Eldora?

How much water do wells make near Eldora?

How deep are wells around Eldora?

Eldora wells have a median reported depth of 140 feet. The middle half runs from 40 to 260 feet, meaning many wells fall in that band, while the 90th percentile reaches 400 feet. The deepest well in these records is 800 feet.

The depth mix shows the spread clearly: 41% are under 100 feet, 37% are between 100 and 300 feet, 21% are between 300 and 600 feet, and 2% are deeper than 600 feet. This is fractured mountain bedrock, identified on most permits as unnamed fractured-bedrock aquifer. Granite and gneiss can carry water in cracks rather than in a predictable continuous layer. For a bid, use 140 feet only as a planning reference. A driller should review nearby logs, access, casing and grouting needs before giving a firm price.

What water yield can a home expect?

Among the 201 Eldora-area records that report pump yield, the median is 7.0 gallons per minute. The middle half is 5.0 to 10.0 gallons per minute, and 70% report yields from 5 to 15 gallons per minute. Another 20% fall between 1 and 5 gallons per minute, while 9% report more than 15 gallons per minute. Only 1% are under 1 gallon per minute.

That distribution is generally workable for a household, but a reported pumping rate is not the same as unlimited storage. A low-producing well can still serve a home if the well, pump controls and storage are designed appropriately. Ask for the original yield test and permit file. Colorado exempt household-use wells also have a 35 gpm pumping limit, so the permitted use matters.

Water levels and the local groundwater trend

Only 34 wells in the Eldora records report a static water level, so the water-level sample is much smaller than the depth sample. Those reported levels have a median of 36 feet below the surface, with the middle half from 16 to 50 feet.

The decade comparison does not show a simple falling water table in this dataset. The median measured level was 50 feet below surface in the 2010s and 32 feet in the 2020s. Because the measurements come from different wells and locations, that change should not be treated as a regional forecast. A water level is also not the same as well depth: a 140-foot well may encounter water at a much shallower point. Before buying, request the well construction report, static level, pump test and any recent service information for the specific property.

Who has drilled near Eldora, and when?

Permit activity around Eldora spans several decades. Records show 7 permits in the 1950s, 44 in the 1960s, 128 in the 1970s, 95 in the 1980s, 146 in the 1990s, 94 in the 2000s, 63 in the 2010s and 20 in the 2020s. The newest permit year is 2025. This history shows long-term residential well development rather than a short burst of construction.

The most frequently represented drillers are Ground Water Systems Inc (Wilson, Richard R.) with 111 records, C R Smith Drilling Inc (Smith, Frank) with 83, and C. R. Smith Drilling (Smith, Calvin R.) with 54. Those records can help identify local drilling history, but they are not a recommendation. Compare the construction reports for nearby lots in Eldora, Nederland and Rollinsville before selecting a contractor.

What does a new well cost in Eldora?

The local cost model is based on fractured mountain bedrock, including granite and gneiss. Drilling is estimated at $65-$100 per foot. At the 140-foot median depth, the drilled hole comes to about $9,100-$14,000.

That is not the complete water-system price. A finished well with pump, pressure tank, trenching and electrical is estimated at $15,100-$26,000 at the median depth. A deeper hole moves the price upward, and difficult mountain access can affect the work even when depth is unchanged. The 40-to-260-foot middle-half depth range is important when comparing bids: a quote based on a shallow assumption may not cover the actual drilling risk. Get the scope in writing, including casing, grout, pump equipment, testing, trenching and electrical.

Eldora risks to check before building

The principal water risk is variability in fractured bedrock. Some wells produce well, while others require deeper drilling, storage planning or may not meet a household’s needs. A dry hole is a real construction risk in this geology, so review neighboring logs and ask how the contractor handles unsuccessful drilling.

Environmental history also deserves a site-specific review. Within about 10 miles, the map includes 12 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 1,095 historic mine features and 7 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites. Their presence does not prove contamination at a parcel. Test the well water and check the location of mine features, drainage and any prior land use. Septic design, well separation, steep access, trench routes and the building footprint should be evaluated together before finalizing a lot.

A practical plan for an Eldora lot

Start with the Colorado DWR permit and construction records for the property, then compare wells on nearby roads rather than relying on a countywide average. Look for depth, yield, static level, casing, grout and the aquifer description. The records are dominated by household use, at 87%, so they provide useful residential context for a home purchase.

For a new build, have the driller, septic designer and excavator review the same site plan. Confirm truck access, a drilling location, pump and electrical routes, storage needs, septic setbacks and the location of the house. Nearby Nederland and Rollinsville can provide additional local comparison points, but Eldora’s fractured granite and gneiss still make the parcel-specific well log the best evidence. Do not waive water testing or well-performance review simply because a neighboring property has a productive well.

Well permits by decade near Eldora

What a new well costs in Eldora, CO

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 (260 ft) would run roughly $22,900–$38,000. See the full Colorado well cost guide.

Environmental sites mapped within about 10 miles

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.

Buying land near Eldora? 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 Eldora 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.

• Instant Online Report, $99 — type the address and get a buildability read on the spot: parcel, terrain and slope, soil and septic outlook. Cheap enough to run on every lot you're shopping.
• Desktop Report, $500 — a contractor's from-the-desk feasibility read: Regulation 43 and county code, GIS parcel data, terrain, flood and drainage, soil and septic viability, setbacks and buildable envelope, nearby well depths from our 591,000-well database, the likely driveway route, and a preliminary site-development cost breakdown.
• On-Site Report, $2,000 — everything above, then boots and a drone on the actual ground: house pad and septic zone located, access and winter conditions checked, rock and soil observed in person, a 15 to 20 page written opinion you can hand a lender or seller. Credited toward your project if you build with us.

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.

Common questions about wells in Eldora

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