Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Jefferson County
A well budget for a lot near Conifer or Evergreen needs more than a countywide average. Jefferson County’s recorded well depths have a median of 228 feet, but the middle half spans 54–431 feet. That spread matters when pricing a mountain property.
Colorado DWR records contain 40,739 permitted wells in the county, with 24,748 recorded as constructed. These records cover different uses and settings, not just mountain household wells. Use them to narrow your expectations, then check the actual parcel and nearby construction reports.
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 | 54 |
| Median | 228 |
| 75th percentile | 431 |
| 90th percentile | 652 |
| Deepest on record | 4,095 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 37,133 |
| Alluvial | 553 |
| Denver | 471 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 3.0 |
| Median | 6.0 |
| 75th percentile | 9.5 |
| Median depth to water | 75 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 26 ft |
| 1960s | 30 ft |
| 1970s | 60 ft |
| 1980s | 55 ft |
| 1990s | 120 ft |
| 2000s | 18 ft |
| 2010s | 100 ft |
| 2020s | 90 ft |
The 228-foot median comes from 25,536 wells reporting depth. The middle half runs from 54–431 feet, and the 90th percentile is 652 feet. For a buyer, that means a bid based only on the median leaves substantial uncertainty about final footage.
Mountain wells commonly depend on water-bearing fractures in granite or gneiss. A productive fracture on a neighboring parcel may not continue beneath yours. Records list 37,133 wells with an unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifer designation, alongside alluvial and Denver aquifer entries. Around Aspen Park, Conifer and Brook Forest, compare wells in similar terrain and geology rather than treating the entire county as a single drilling condition.
Among 9,118 wells reporting pump yield, the median is 6.0 gpm, with the middle half at 3.0–9.5 gpm. That is useful planning information, but a reported drilling yield is not proof that a well can sustain the same output through changing seasons or heavy household demand.
4% report less than 1 gpm. A buyer looking at one of those wells should investigate recovery, available storage and current household performance before closing. Another 33% fall in the 1–5 gpm range. Ask for a current pumping and recovery evaluation, not simply the pump’s rated capacity. The pump can move water faster than the surrounding fractures replenish it.
Static water level is the depth to standing water in a resting well, not the bottom of the drilled hole. Only 1,329 records report it. Their median is 75 feet below ground, with the middle half at 23–150 feet.
The decade medians fluctuate: 26 feet in the 1950s, 120 feet in the 1990s, 18 feet in the 2000s, 100 feet in the 2010s and 90 feet in the 2020s. This is not a consistent downward water-table trend. Different wells and measurement locations can change the countywide median. For a property near Evergreen or Kittredge, repeated measurements from the same well are more informative than this countywide series.
The largest listed permit decade was the 1990s, with 8,840 permits, compared with 6,685 in the 1970s and 2,854 in the 2010s. The records include 1,549 permits from the 2020s, with the newest permit year listed as 2025. That recent decade is incomplete, so its total is not directly comparable with a full decade.
Prominent named drillers include James Drilling Company (Keaton, Michael K.), associated with 2,123 records, and Living Water Systems Inc. (Goble, Robert), with 1,793. The leading entry, “Authorized (Pe, Pg),” is not a clearly identified drilling business. These are historical record counts, not confirmation of current availability. With 20% monitoring use, the permit inventory also extends beyond household supply wells.
The supplied drilling model for fractured granite and gneiss uses $65–$100 per foot. At the county’s 228-foot median depth, the drilled hole is about $14,800–$22,800. A finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is modeled at $20,800–$34,800.
Treat that as a planning allowance, not a parcel-specific quote. The 54–431-foot middle-half depth range is wide enough that extra footage can materially change the bill. Ask the driller to separate footage, casing, grout, testing and completion equipment. On a steep lot near Brook Forest or Conifer, clarify rig access and the trench route before accepting a price. Confirm what site work is included rather than assuming “finished well” covers every property condition.
The environmental map lists 327 PFAS sampling/contamination sites, 244 historic mine features and 91 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites within about 10 miles. Those counts are screening information, not evidence that a particular well is contaminated. Check the mapped locations, site status and relevance to the parcel, then select laboratory tests with qualified local guidance.
Water quantity needs its own review. The reported 4% share under 1 gpm does not tell you a specific lot’s prospects, and fractured rock can produce an unproductive borehole. Have the contract explain how that outcome is handled. Inspect casing and the wellhead, and confirm that septic placement, drainage and building plans protect the water supply without blocking future service access.
Start with the parcel’s DWR permit, construction report and any pumping, repair and water-quality records. Domestic/household use accounts for 70% of the county inventory, but that category does not establish what an individual permit allows. An exempt household-use permit may restrict outdoor uses; read its actual conditions before planning irrigation or livestock water.
Compare nearby wells with similar geology, not just the closest map dots. Then coordinate the well location with the septic layout, house, driveway and utility trench. Check applicable water-right and augmentation requirements before committing to intended uses. For an existing home, make satisfactory water-quality and supply evaluations part of the purchase decision. For vacant land, get site-specific drilling and access assessments before fixing the construction budget.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 793 |
| 1960s | 1,445 |
| 1970s | 6,685 |
| 1980s | 5,000 |
| 1990s | 8,840 |
| 2000s | 5,216 |
| 2010s | 2,854 |
| 2020s | 1,549 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Authorized (Pe, Pg) | 4,354 |
| James Drilling Company (Keaton, Michael K.) | 2,123 |
| Living Water Systems Inc. (Goble, Robert) | 1,793 |
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 (431 ft) would run roughly $34,015–$55,100. 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 Jefferson CountyFor a Jefferson County mountain lot near Conifer or Evergreen, Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor for access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems and custom homes. Coordinate those plans with the well location and drilling access before work begins.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Jefferson 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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The median recorded depth is 228 feet, based on 25,536 wells with depth reports. The middle half ranges from 54–431 feet, and the 90th percentile is 652 feet. Mountain wells depend on fractures, so nearby reports from similar terrain around Conifer or Evergreen are more useful for a specific lot than the county median alone.
The mountain-bedrock model uses $65–$100 per foot. At the 228-foot median depth, drilling the hole is about $14,800–$22,800, while a finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is about $20,800–$34,800. Get a parcel-specific quote that identifies casing, grout, access work and the charges if more footage is needed.
Reported pump yields have a median of 6.0 gpm, and the middle half falls between 3.0–9.5 gpm. These figures come from 9,118 yield reports. With 4% reporting less than 1 gpm, buyers should verify the actual well’s sustained output and recovery. A historical yield entry or pump rating alone does not establish dependable household supply.
Safety must be checked at the individual well. The nearby environmental inventory includes 327 PFAS sampling/contamination sites and 244 historic mine features, but mapped proximity does not prove contamination. Review relevant site records and obtain laboratory testing appropriate to the property. Also inspect the wellhead and casing and check the relationship between the well, septic system and drainage.
The supplied records do not show a steady countywide decline. Median static water depth was 120 feet in the 1990s, 18 feet in the 2000s, 100 feet in the 2010s and 90 feet in the 2020s. These are changing groups of reported measurements, not necessarily repeated observations of the same wells. Evaluate a property using its own measurement history where available.
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