Owyhee County, ID Water Table Trend
Owyhee County, ID: what the water table is actually doing
Over 60 years of USGS readings, the well tracking Owyhee County's aquifer is declining at a typical pace for a declining county: 1.3 ft per decade.
One well stands in for Owyhee 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 22.5 ft below land surface. Readings span 1967-01-01 to 2026-10-27, 41 measurements from USGS well USGS-421813115555801 (13s 04e 12cdd1), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Owyhee County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Owyhee County ranks 1120th from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 12,748 people live in Owyhee County, Idaho. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Owyhee County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Owyhee 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 Owyhee 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.