Otero County, NM Water Table Trend
Is the water table dropping in Otero County, NM?
Otero County's representative monitoring well shows depth to water declining faster than most declining counties, a fitted trend of 5.8 ft per decade over 72 years of readings.
One well stands in for Otero 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 115.3 ft below land surface. Readings span 1954-04-08 to 2026-01-13, 17 measurements from USGS well USGS-324442105564501 (18s.10e.18.224 462), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Otero County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Otero County ranks 1333rd from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 69,711 people live in Otero County, New Mexico. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Otero County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Otero 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 Otero 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.