Fayette County, IA Water Table Trend
Is the water table dropping in Fayette County, IA?
Over 56 years of USGS readings, the well tracking Fayette County's aquifer is declining faster than most declining counties: 9.4 ft per decade.
One well stands in for Fayette County's whole aquifer here, the honest simplification every page on this site carries.
What the well actually measured
The most recent reading put water 318 ft below land surface. Readings span 1964-11-01 to 2020-06-09, 7 measurements from USGS well USGS-425100091490001 (093n08w29acad 17048 1964fayette 2), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Fayette County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Fayette County ranks 1381st from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 19,152 people live in Fayette County, Iowa. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Fayette County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Fayette County's water table is actually declining, not just a general worry, a well owner here should consider comparing home-warranty plans that cover well-pump failure before one happens.
A dropping table says nothing about water quality
Whether Fayette County's water table is rising or falling is independent of what's actually in the water. Depletion can concentrate naturally-occurring minerals, so it's worth checking directly with a water test rather than assuming a depth trend says anything about quality.