McKenzie County, ND Water Table Trend
Is the water table dropping in McKenzie County, ND?
Over 20 years of USGS readings, the well tracking McKenzie County's aquifer is declining at a typical pace for a declining county: 2.6 ft per decade.
One well stands in for McKenzie 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 12.6 ft below land surface. Readings span 2001-10-03 to 2021-06-17, 147 measurements from USGS well USGS-474814103104702 (150-098-23aab2), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where McKenzie County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, McKenzie County ranks 1229th from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 14,782 people live in McKenzie County, North Dakota. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how McKenzie County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because McKenzie 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 McKenzie 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.