Hennepin County, MN Water Table Trend
Is the water table dropping in Hennepin County, MN?
Over 28 years of USGS readings, the well tracking Hennepin County's aquifer is declining at a typical pace for a declining county: 2.4 ft per decade.
One well stands in for Hennepin 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 21.3 ft below land surface. Readings span 1996-05-21 to 2024-08-08, 16 measurements from USGS well USGS-450624093220501 (Hn-C 119n21w20aca 01 0000560409), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Hennepin County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Hennepin County ranks 1217th from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 1,273,334 people live in Hennepin County, Minnesota. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Hennepin County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Hennepin 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 Hennepin 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.