Rio Blanco County, CO Water Table Trend
Is the water table dropping in Rio Blanco County, CO?
Over 43 years of USGS readings, the well tracking Rio Blanco County's aquifer is declining, slower than most declining counties: 0.6 ft per decade.
One well stands in for Rio Blanco 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 78.9 ft below land surface. Readings span 1976-01-01 to 2019-05-10, 52 measurements from USGS well USGS-395136108210001 (Sc00209824cbb Th 75-13b), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Rio Blanco County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Rio Blanco County ranks 992nd from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 6,607 people live in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Rio Blanco County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Rio Blanco 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 Rio Blanco 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.