Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Otero County › Rocky Ford
Rocky Ford sits on the plains, where local well records are dominated by shallow wells in alluvial and plains sedimentary settings. Within 5 miles of town, Colorado DWR records list 783 permitted wells. Of those, 491 are recorded as constructed, 487 report total depth, 71 report pump yield, and 14 report static water level.
The numbers point to generally shallow, productive wells, but they do not guarantee the result on a particular parcel. A neighboring well is useful evidence, not a promise. Confirm the permit, intended use, construction details, water rights, septic feasibility, and access before buying land or pricing a build.
Figures are computed from Colorado Division of Water Resources permit records for permitted wells within 5 miles of Rocky Ford. Not every permit reports every field; each statistic uses the wells that report it.
| Depth statistic | Feet |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 30 |
| Median | 38 |
| 75th percentile | 47 |
| 90th percentile | 69 |
| Deepest on record | 1,125 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 755 |
| Alluvial | 13 |
| Dakota | 6 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 20.0 |
| Median | 100.0 |
| 75th percentile | 300.0 |
| Median depth to water | 9 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 2020s | 7 ft |
The median recorded well depth near Rocky Ford is 38 feet. The middle half runs from 30 to 47 feet, and 90% of reported wells are no deeper than 69 feet. That is a favorable pattern for estimating drilling on ordinary plains parcels: a driller will usually be pricing a shallow hole rather than a deep hard-rock project.
There is still a wide exception. The deepest recorded well is 1,125 feet, and 8% of the depth mix is listed at 600 feet or more. No wells are shown in the 100-to-300-foot or 300-to-600-foot ranges in the supplied mix. Ask for nearby logs before relying on the median. Local geology, the exact parcel, casing, grout, and the target aquifer can change the bid substantially.
Among the 71 wells that report a pump yield, the median is 100 gallons per minute. The middle half falls between 20 and 300 gallons per minute. The record shows 80% producing more than 15 gallons per minute, with 20% in the 5-to-15-gallon-per-minute range. None are listed below 5 gallons per minute in this dataset.
That is a strong local result, but the yield sample is much smaller than the well-permit total. Pump yield is also not the same as guaranteed household supply. A buyer should review the pumping test, recovery information, well construction, and permitted use. Domestic or household wells make up 39% of the use mix, while irrigation accounts for 27% and stock use for 21%.
Only 14 wells report a static water level, so the water-level sample is limited. In those records, the median depth to water is 9 feet, and the middle half is 7 to 18 feet. That suggests groundwater is close to the surface at the measured wells, which can simplify drilling but can also make proper casing, grout, and surface protection especially important.
The permit totals by decade do not establish a water-table trend. They show 67 permits in the 1950s, 53 in the 1960s, 36 in the 1970s, 34 in the 1980s, 73 in the 1990s, 112 in the 2000s, 54 in the 2010s, and 39 in the 2020s. The newest permit year is 2025. Treat the static-water figures as local snapshots, not proof that groundwater is rising or falling.
Well activity near Rocky Ford spans decades. The busiest decade in the supplied records was the 2000s, with 112 permits. The newest permit year is 2025, so older logs can be supplemented with more recent DWR records when available. Permit history is useful for seeing how a parcel and its neighbors were developed, but a permit does not by itself prove that a well was completed, remains usable, or supplies the next property.
The most active named drillers in these records are Crandall, H A, with 46 wells; Authorized (Pe, Pg), with 42; and Broce Drilling (Broce, Frank R.), with 36. These names identify recorded activity, not an endorsement. Have the current driller inspect the actual log and site conditions before preparing a construction proposal.
For Rocky Ford’s alluvium and plains sedimentary rock, the drilling model uses a typical rate of $35 to $55 per foot. At the 38-foot median depth, the drilled hole alone is estimated at about $1,300 to $2,100. That is not the completed water system.
A finished well including the pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is estimated at $7,300 to $14,100 at the median depth. The range reflects more than footage. Access, trench length, power requirements, casing and grout, pump selection, surface conditions, and site layout can all affect the bid. A property with a shallow nearby well should still be priced with a written scope covering drilling, completion, testing, equipment, and connections.
The main risks are not captured by the median alone. A parcel can encounter a low-yield zone, an unusual deep formation, or a dry hole even where nearby records look favorable. The records name 755 wells in an unnamed or fractured-bedrock aquifer, 13 in the Alluvial aquifer, and 6 in the Dakota aquifer. That spread makes the exact well log and construction record important.
Environmental review also deserves attention. Within about 10 miles, mapped sites include 10 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 10 historic mine features, and 2 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites. Test water before relying on it for a home. Check septic setbacks, soil, drainage, access for a rig, and building location at the same time. DWR permitting, exempt household-use rules, and any augmentation-plan requirement should be confirmed for the intended use.
Start with wells closest to the parcel, then compare depth, aquifer description, construction, reported yield, and static water level. Records near Swink, Manzanola, La Junta Gardens, La Junta, North La Junta, and Ordway can provide broader context, but they should not replace parcel-specific review. The closest comparable wells usually matter most for a drilling conversation.
For a new home, make the well, septic system, driveway, electrical route, and building pad one site plan. Confirm the legal water use before construction. If the well is an exempt household-use well, the state’s 35-gallon-per-minute pumping limit still applies. In an over-appropriated basin, an augmentation plan may be required. Get written answers from the driller, county, and Colorado DWR before closing or spending on improvements.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 67 |
| 1960s | 53 |
| 1970s | 36 |
| 1980s | 34 |
| 1990s | 73 |
| 2000s | 112 |
| 2010s | 54 |
| 2020s | 39 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Crandall, H A | 46 |
| Authorized (Pe, Pg) | 42 |
| Broce Drilling (Broce, Frank R.) | 36 |
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 (47 ft) would run roughly $7,645–$14,585. 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 Rocky FordTri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor serving Rocky Ford and nearby Otero County communities with access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems, and custom homes. Bring the well, septic, access, 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 Rocky Ford 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.
Driveway, site work, septic or a build near Rocky Ford. Licensed GC, excavator and septic installer.
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Rocky Ford wells in the supplied records have a median depth of 38 feet. The middle half is 30 to 47 feet, and 90% are no deeper than 69 feet. Most are under 100 feet, but the deepest recorded well is 1,125 feet, so nearby well logs remain important for a specific parcel.
The local cost model uses $35 to $55 per foot. At the 38-foot median depth, the drilled hole is estimated at $1,300 to $2,100. A finished system with pump, tank, trenching, and electrical is estimated at $7,300 to $14,100. Access, equipment, casing, grout, and site layout can move the actual bid.
Among 71 wells reporting pump yield, the median is 100 gallons per minute and the middle half is 20 to 300 gallons per minute. The records show 80% above 15 gallons per minute and 20% at 5 to 15. This is encouraging, but a buyer should review the actual pumping test and permitted use.
Well records do not establish drinking-water safety. Within about 10 miles, mapped sites include 10 PFAS sampling or contamination sites, 10 historic mine features, and 2 EPA Superfund or cleanup sites. Test water from the specific well before using it for a home, and review the well location and construction with a qualified professional.
The supplied records do not show a reliable decade-by-decade water-level series. Only 14 wells report static water level; their median depth to water is 9 feet, with a middle half of 7 to 18 feet. That indicates shallow measured water levels, but it cannot prove a rising or falling regional water table.
All wells in Otero County — county-wide depth, yield and cost figures.
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