Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Kit Carson County
A well budget near Burlington, Stratton or Flagler needs more than a countywide average. Kit Carson County's reported median depth is 235 ft, but the records include household, stock and irrigation uses, so not every nearby well is a useful comparison for a home.
Colorado DWR lists 6,729 permitted wells in the county, with 2,870 recorded as constructed. Start with those records, then verify the construction, condition and permitted use of the actual well serving the property.
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 | 174 |
| Median | 235 |
| 75th percentile | 283 |
| 90th percentile | 315 |
| Deepest on record | 3,130 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 3,806 |
| Ogallala | 2,762 |
| High Plains Aquifer | 80 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 15.0 |
| Median | 20.0 |
| 75th percentile | 334.2 |
| Median depth to water | 160 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 148 ft |
| 1960s | 159 ft |
| 1970s | 146 ft |
| 2000s | 182 ft |
| 2010s | 165 ft |
| 2020s | 172 ft |
The middle half of reported depths runs from 174-283 ft, around a median of 235 ft. That is a useful starting range for a driller's bid, not a promised stopping depth. Ask how the estimate changes if the water-bearing material is deeper on your lot. The 90th-percentile depth is 315 ft; the deepest record, 3,130 ft, is not a sensible residential budget benchmark.
Ground conditions are alluvium and plains sedimentary rock. Permits name the Ogallala on 2,762 wells and the High Plains Aquifer on 80. Another 3,806 carry an unnamed / fractured-bedrock label; that label alone does not establish the geology beneath a parcel. Compare nearby completion logs for actual formations and screened intervals.
Reported pump yields have a 20.0 gpm median, but the middle half spans 15.0-334.2 gpm. This is not a household-only dataset: the use mix includes domestic/household at 30%, stock at 42% and irrigation at 37%. Those categories should not be treated as mutually exclusive.
Among reporting wells, 4% fall in the 1-5 gpm range, while the reported share under 1 gpm is 0%. That does not guarantee a productive new hole. Only 1,426 records report yield, and an old pump-test figure is not proof of current sustained output. For a purchase near Bethune or Vona, have the well's pumping performance and recovery checked against the home's expected demand and storage needs.
Static water level is the depth to water while the well is at rest, not the bottom of the hole. Kit Carson County's median is 160 ft below surface, with the middle half at 121-188 ft. These figures come from 406 reporting records, a much smaller set than the depth records.
Decade medians move from 148 ft in the 1950s to 159 ft in the 1960s and 146 ft in the 1970s, then 182 ft in the 2000s, 165 ft in the 2010s and 172 ft in the 2020s. Later readings are generally deeper, but this is not a steady decline or a same-well monitoring series. Request current static and pumping levels before judging the available water above the pump.
Kit Carson County's permit history reaches from 161 permits in the 1950s to 810 in the 2000s. The records show 343 in the 2010s and 268 in the 2020s, with the newest permit year listed as 2026. The current decade is incomplete, so its count is not directly comparable with a full decade. Permit issuance also does not prove a well was built or remains usable.
The most active named drillers in the records are Schaal Drilling Co. (Schaal, Ruben T.) with 888, Parrish Drilling (Parrish, Wayne) with 382, and Klassen Drilling (Klassen, Paul C) with 204. These are historical record counts, not confirmation of current availability. An original driller's log can help explain an existing well's construction.
The local drilling model uses $35-$55 per foot for alluvium and plains sedimentary rock. At the county's 235 ft median depth, the drilled hole is modeled at $8,200-$12,900. A finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is modeled at $14,200-$24,900.
Treat those figures as planning allowances, not a parcel quote. The 174-283 ft middle-depth range is reason to request pricing for added footage rather than a single fixed-depth assumption. Have the written scope identify casing, grout, well development, testing and pump equipment. Around Seibert or Flagler, the rig's access and the route between the well and house also deserve a site visit before the finished price is settled.
The environmental mapping lists 17 PFAS sampling/contamination sites and 2 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites within about 10 miles. A mapped site does not establish contamination in a particular well, and a sampling location is not automatically a confirmed contamination source. Review the site's status and location, then use laboratory testing to evaluate the property's water.
Do not mistake the reported 0% share under 1 gpm for evidence that dry holes cannot occur. Reported yields do not account for every drilling outcome. Inspect the wellhead, casing and surface drainage, and review septic placement with the appropriate local authority. For a new build, resolve well, septic, house and access locations together before committing to excavation.
Match the permit to the parcel and your intended use. A well's pumping capacity does not authorize every use you might want. Confirm the DWR permit conditions for household use, livestock, outdoor watering or irrigation rather than relying on a listing description.
Pull nearby construction records around the actual lot, not just the Kit Carson County median. Burlington, Bethune, Stratton, Flagler, Vona and Seibert each have their own local context. Cheyenne County and Yuma County can provide broader comparisons, but close wells in comparable formations are more useful. Before closing, obtain the completion log, current performance information, water-quality results and a written site-specific budget. For vacant land, confirm the permitting path before treating a well as assured.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 161 |
| 1960s | 441 |
| 1970s | 647 |
| 1980s | 413 |
| 1990s | 714 |
| 2000s | 810 |
| 2010s | 343 |
| 2020s | 268 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Schaal Drilling Co. (Schaal, Ruben T.) | 888 |
| Parrish Drilling (Parrish, Wayne) | 382 |
| Klassen Drilling (Klassen, Paul C) | 204 |
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 (283 ft) would run roughly $15,905–$27,565. 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 Kit Carson CountyPlanning a build near Burlington, Stratton or elsewhere in Kit Carson County means coordinating access, the well and the septic layout. Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor for 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 Kit Carson 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 reported median depth is 235 ft, and the middle half of wells falls between 174-283 ft. The 90th-percentile depth is 315 ft. These figures come from 4,104 depth-reporting records across the county. Use nearby completion logs to refine a bid; the county range does not guarantee the depth needed on your parcel.
The planning model is $35-$55 per foot. At the 235 ft median depth, that puts the drilled hole around $8,200-$12,900 and a finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical around $14,200-$24,900. Get a written quote covering construction details, access, utility routing and the charge for additional depth.
The median reported pump yield is 20.0 gpm, with a middle-half range of 15.0-334.2 gpm. The wide spread includes household, stock and irrigation wells, so it is not a residential design target. Have an existing well tested for current sustained performance and recovery rather than relying solely on its original reported yield.
County records cannot establish whether an individual well is safe. Mapping identifies 17 PFAS sampling/contamination sites and 2 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites within about 10 miles, but proximity alone does not prove contamination. Obtain laboratory water testing, review relevant nearby environmental records and inspect the wellhead and septic layout before relying on the supply.
The decade medians suggest generally deeper water in later records, but not a steady decline. Median depth to water was 148 ft in the 1950s, 182 ft in the 2000s and 172 ft in the 2020s. These are grouped measurements, not repeated readings from the same wells. Parcel-level decisions need current measurements and local monitoring history.
Driveway, septic, site development, feasibility or a custom build near Kit Carson County.
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