Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Dolores County › Rico
Rico sits in mountain terrain where most permitted wells draw from unnamed fractured-bedrock aquifers. The records near town show a 110-foot median well depth and a median reported yield of 10.5 gallons per minute, but the data is not complete: 67 wells are recorded as constructed, 76 report depth, 18 report pump yield, and only 6 report static water level.
That makes neighboring well records useful for planning, not a guarantee for a particular lot. A driller still has to evaluate access, rock, casing and grout requirements, the proposed use, and the chance that a fractured zone produces more or less water than nearby wells.
Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for permitted wells within 8 miles of Rico. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.
| Depth statistic | Feet |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 64 |
| Median | 110 |
| 75th percentile | 143 |
| 90th percentile | 199 |
| Deepest on record | 400 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 119 |
| Dakota | 1 |
| Mancos | 1 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 5.5 |
| Median | 10.5 |
| 75th percentile | 15.0 |
| Median depth to water | 31 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| Not enough dated measurements | — |
Reported well depths around Rico have a 110-foot median, with the middle half between 64 and 143 feet. That is a useful starting point for a drilling estimate: a bid based near the median may be reasonable for a site with similar geology and access, but it should not be treated as a fixed target. The deepest recorded well is 400 feet, and the 90th percentile is 199 feet.
The depth mix shows why location matters. Forty-three percent of reported wells are under 100 feet, while 53% fall from 100 to 300 feet. Only 4% are from 300 to 600 feet, and none are recorded above 600 feet. Most permits name unnamed fractured bedrock rather than a consistent basin aquifer, so granite and gneiss structure can change quickly across a parcel.
Among the limited number of wells reporting pump yield, the median is 10.5 gallons per minute and the middle half is 5.5 to 15.0 gallons per minute. Thirty-nine percent report 5 to 15 gallons per minute, and another 39% report more than 15 gallons per minute. Twenty-two percent report 1 to 5 gallons per minute. No reported well is under 1 gallon per minute.
Those figures describe reported tests, not a promise for a new hole. A yield around the median is generally useful for a household, but storage, pump sizing, recovery, and simultaneous use still matter. Ask for the original well construction and yield documents, not just a seller's verbal estimate. A domestic or household-use well also remains subject to its DWR permit terms.
The six wells reporting static water level have a median depth to water of 31 feet, with the middle half from 20 to 85 feet. That can help a contractor think about pump setting, trenching, and initial site planning, but the small reporting set is not enough to map a dependable water table across Rico.
The permit history does not provide a water-level series by decade, so these facts do not establish a dropping or rising trend. Water levels can vary with season, recharge, pumping and the local fracture network. Before buying, obtain the well permit, construction report and any available pumping or static-level measurements for the parcel and nearby wells. A current field measurement is more useful than assuming every lot shares the same water level.
Colorado DWR permit records include 125 wells within the mapped area, with 67 recorded as constructed. Permits span the 1970s through the 2020s, and the newest permit year is 2025. The largest permit group is from the 1990s, with 37 permits; the 2000s have 28, the 2010s have 20, and the 2020s have 17.
Mcpherson Drilling Co., also listed as Mcpherson, Billy G., appears most often with 20 records. Authorized, listed as Pe, Pg, appears with 13, and Bill Kissner Drilling Inc., listed as Kissner, Bill F., appears with 9. These names show local permit history, not current availability or a recommendation. Confirm licensing, insurance, references, access capability and the scope of any written bid before hiring.
Rico's fractured mountain bedrock is the main cost variable. The drilling model uses $65 to $100 per foot. At the 110-foot median depth, the drilled hole works out to about $7,200 to $11,000. A finished well, including pump, tank, trenching and electrical, is estimated at $13,200 to $23,000.
That range is for planning, not a guaranteed contract price. A lot that needs difficult access, extra casing or grout, more drilling, special electrical work, or longer utility trenching can change the bid. Ask the driller to separate footage, casing, grout, mobilization, pump equipment, pressure tank, trenching, electrical work, testing and permits. Comparing bids is easier when every contractor prices the same scope and states what happens if the hole is dry or low-yield.
The local environmental map includes 3 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 220 historic mine features and 1 EPA Superfund or cleanup site within about 10 miles. That does not prove contamination on a particular parcel, but it is a reason to check the exact location, drainage, historic uses and available water-quality records. Test the well water through a qualified laboratory after closing and again when conditions or occupants change.
Low yield and dry holes remain possible in fractured rock even when nearby wells perform well. Confirm the permit's allowed use, construction status, casing and grout details, and any required setbacks from septic components. A septic designer must evaluate soil, slope, groundwater and the proposed house location. Access for a rig, pump service and emergency repairs should be planned before finalizing a homesite.
Start with the parcel's DWR permit number and construction report, then compare nearby wells in Rico and the surrounding mountain communities. Look for consistent depth, yield and water-level information rather than relying on a single nearby success. The surrounding records include areas such as Ophir, Mountain Village, Telluride, Sawpit, Silverton and Placerville, but those places should be used only as broader context because fractured-bedrock conditions can change locally.
For a purchase, make well inspection, water testing, permit verification and satisfactory flow part of the contract. For a new build, have a driller review rig access and a septic professional review the site before committing to a house location. Keep an allowance for a deeper hole, storage or treatment if testing shows the lot needs it. The permit controls the legal use; it does not guarantee a particular yield.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 3 |
| 1980s | 8 |
| 1990s | 37 |
| 2000s | 28 |
| 2010s | 20 |
| 2020s | 17 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Mcpherson Drilling Co. (Mcpherson, Billy G.) | 20 |
| Authorized (Pe, Pg) | 13 |
| Bill Kissner Drilling Inc (Kissner, Bill F.) | 9 |
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 (143 ft) would run roughly $15,295–$26,300. 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 RicoTri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Rico and surrounding mountain properties with access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems and custom homes. Bring the well, septic and building layout together before construction starts.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Rico 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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Rico wells in the available records have a 110-foot median depth. The middle half runs from 64 to 143 feet, while the deepest recorded well is 400 feet. Most reported wells are between 100 and 300 feet, but fractured granite and gneiss can produce different results across short distances.
The local drilling model uses $65 to $100 per foot. At the 110-foot median depth, the drilled hole is estimated at $7,200 to $11,000. A finished system with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is estimated at $13,200 to $23,000. Access, extra drilling and site conditions can change the bid.
Reported yields have a 10.5-gallon-per-minute median, with the middle half from 5.5 to 15.0 gallons per minute. Thirty-nine percent report more than 15 gallons per minute, while 22% report 1 to 5. No reported well is under 1 gallon per minute, though the yield data covers only 18 wells.
The records do not establish that every Rico well is safe to drink. The mapped area includes 3 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 220 historic mine features and 1 EPA Superfund or cleanup site. Test the specific well through a qualified laboratory, and review nearby historic mining and drainage conditions before relying on the water.
Only 6 wells report static water levels. Their median depth to water is 31 feet, with the middle half from 20 to 85 feet. That small sample cannot establish a town-wide water-table trend. Ask for the parcel's records and nearby measurements, and have a driller evaluate seasonal conditions and fractured-bedrock production.
All wells in Dolores County — county-wide depth, yield and cost figures.
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