Colorado Well Finder › Wells by county › Saguache County
A Saguache County well budget starts with the parcel, not just the county average. The recorded median depth is 120 ft, but the middle half of wells runs from 87-215 ft. That spread matters when pricing land near Center, Crestone, Moffat, Saguache or Bonanza.
Colorado DWR records contain 8,582 permits countywide, with 5,723 wells recorded as constructed. These records mix household, stock, irrigation and monitoring uses. Use the county figures to frame your questions, then check nearby completed wells and the actual permit before committing to a purchase.
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 | 87 |
| Median | 120 |
| 75th percentile | 215 |
| 90th percentile | 400 |
| Deepest on record | 4,800 |
| Aquifer named on permits | Wells |
|---|---|
| unnamed / fractured-bedrock aquifer | 6,148 |
| Unconfined San Luis Vall | 863 |
| Unconfined San Luis Valley Aquifer | 758 |
| Yield statistic | gpm |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 10.6 |
| Median | 15.0 |
| 75th percentile | 660.0 |
| Median depth to water | 30 ft |
| Median water level by decade | Depth to water |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 12 ft |
| 1970s | 13 ft |
| 1980s | 14 ft |
| 2000s | 20 ft |
| 2010s | 30 ft |
| 2020s | 38 ft |
Among the 5,666 wells reporting depth, the median is 120 ft, and the middle half spans 87-215 ft. For a drilling bid, that means budgeting around a range rather than assuming the crew will stop at the median. The 90th-percentile depth is 400 ft, so deeper work is a real part of the county record.
The cost model describes mixed sedimentary and alluvial ground. Permits also carry both unconfined San Luis Valley aquifer names and a large unnamed/fractured-bedrock category. That broad category does not establish the geology beneath your lot. Compare nearby logs around Moffat or Crestone with your proposed site, and ask the driller how formation changes could affect depth, casing and the final bill.
The 1,698 reported pump yields have a median of 15.0 gpm, but the middle half stretches from 10.6-660.0 gpm. That unusually broad range should not be read as a household-well expectation. Irrigation appears on 30% of permits, and large-capacity wells affect the countywide picture.
The reported share under 1 gpm is 0%, while 5% falls in the 1-5 gpm band. Those figures do not guarantee that an untested parcel will produce adequately; yield is missing from many records. For an existing home, request a current pumping and recovery test. Compare household demand and any storage needs with sustained production, not simply the pump's rated capacity or an old permit entry.
Static water level is the resting depth to water, not the drilled depth or the level during pumping. Across 535 reporting wells, the median is 30 ft below ground, with the middle half at 15-60 ft. A shallow resting level does not mean a shallow completed well will be adequate.
The measurement-decade medians deepen from 12 ft in the 1960s to 20 ft in the 2000s, 30 ft in the 2010s and 38 ft in the 2020s. That pattern suggests declining groundwater levels in the recorded sample. It is not a repeat-measurement history of the same wells, however. Different locations and aquifers can affect the comparison. Ask for recent static and pumping levels on the property you intend to buy.
Saguache County's listed permit history includes 1,576 permits in the 1990s, 1,121 in the 2000s and 911 in the 2010s. The 2020s account for 720, with the newest permit dated 2026. The current decade is incomplete, so its total is not a direct measure of slowing demand.
Leading driller entries include Valley Pump Company (Self, Clinton L.) with 357 records and American Drilling Service (Dewberry, Bradford W.) with 306. Another entry, Authorized (Pe, Pg), appears on 259; treat that as a database label rather than a confirmed contractor identity. Historical record counts do not establish current availability. When seeking bids, ask about recent work near your parcel and experience with its expected formations.
The supplied drilling model uses $50-$75 per foot for mixed sedimentary and alluvial ground. At the 120 ft median depth, the drilled hole is approximately $6,000-$9,000. A finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is modeled at $12,000-$21,000.
Those are planning figures, not a parcel-specific quote. A deeper completion, difficult access or a long utility route can change the scope. Ask for an itemized proposal that explains casing and grout, pump selection, testing, trenching and electrical work. Also have the contractor state how additional depth and unsuccessful drilling are billed. Keep driveway construction, septic installation and broader site development separate unless the written proposal expressly includes them.
The environmental screening data lists 6 PFAS sampling/contamination sites, 41 historic mine features and 3 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites within the mapped search distance of about 10 miles. These are flags for location-specific review, not proof that a particular well is contaminated. A PFAS sampling location is not necessarily a confirmed contamination source.
Before closing, obtain laboratory testing for drinking-water suitability and discuss targeted testing with local health officials when nearby mapped features warrant it. Review casing, grout and the sanitary wellhead, too. An old yield entry cannot rule out present low production or the risk of an unsuccessful new hole. Lay out the well, septic system, replacement area, building footprint and drilling access together before fixing the house location.
Start with the actual DWR permit and completion documents, then compare neighboring wells in the same local setting. Countywide averages can hide differences between parcels around Center, Crestone, Moffat, Saguache and Bonanza. Records from nearby Rio Grande or Alamosa County may add context, but they should not replace the closest relevant well logs.
Verify that the permit authorizes your intended uses. A household-use well does not automatically allow lawn irrigation, livestock watering or additional dwellings, and physical production does not establish a legal right to pump. New or expanded uses in an over-appropriated basin may require augmentation or another approved water-supply arrangement. Before buying vacant land, confirm the permitting path with DWR and have the driller and site contractor review access, utilities and septic feasibility.
| Decade permitted | Wells |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 309 |
| 1960s | 286 |
| 1970s | 1,060 |
| 1980s | 621 |
| 1990s | 1,576 |
| 2000s | 1,121 |
| 2010s | 911 |
| 2020s | 720 |
| Most active drillers on record | Wells |
|---|---|
| Valley Pump Company (Self, Clinton L.) | 357 |
| American Drilling Service (Dewberry, Bradford W.) | 306 |
| Authorized (Pe, Pg) | 259 |
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 (215 ft) would run roughly $16,750–$28,125. 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 Saguache CountyFor a Saguache County lot near Center, Crestone, Moffat, Saguache or Bonanza, Tri-Lakes Contracting is a licensed Colorado contractor for access driveways, site development, new-build septic systems and custom homes. Coordinate that work with the proposed well location before finalizing the site layout.
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A listing photo can't tell you whether a lot is a dream or a money pit. Two parcels near Saguache 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.
Driveway, site work, septic or a build near Saguache County. Licensed GC, excavator and septic installer.
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The median recorded depth is 120 ft, and the middle half of reporting wells is 87-215 ft deep. The 90th-percentile depth is 400 ft. Those figures describe the county, not a guaranteed completion depth for your parcel. Nearby well logs and the formations beneath the proposed drilling location are more useful for a firm bid.
The planning model uses $50-$75 per foot. At the county's 120 ft median depth, the drilled hole is about $6,000-$9,000, while a finished well with pump, tank, trenching and electrical is about $12,000-$21,000. Ask for a written scope covering casing, grout, testing and extra-depth charges rather than comparing borehole prices alone.
Reported pump yields have a median of 15.0 gpm, with a middle-half range of 10.6-660.0 gpm. The records include irrigation wells, so the upper end is not a household-well benchmark. Although the reported share under 1 gpm is 0%, many permits lack yield data. Test an existing well's sustained production and recovery before relying on it.
Safety has to be established for the individual well through laboratory testing and a construction review. The mapped screening data includes 6 PFAS sampling/contamination sites, 41 historic mine features and 3 EPA Superfund/cleanup sites within about 10 miles. Their presence does not prove your water is affected. Use their locations to guide questions about targeted testing.
Recorded decade medians suggest deeper groundwater levels: 12 ft below ground in the 1960s, 20 ft in the 2000s and 38 ft in the 2020s. However, these are not necessarily repeated measurements from the same wells. The pattern warrants caution, but a buying decision should also use recent water-level and pumping information for the specific property.
Driveway, septic, site development, feasibility or a custom build near Saguache County.
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