Ward County, ND Water Table Trend
Is the water table dropping in Ward County, ND?
Over 53 years of USGS readings, the well tracking Ward County's aquifer is declining faster than most declining counties: 6.1 ft per decade.
One well stands in for Ward 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 60.1 ft below land surface. Readings span 1968-12-05 to 2021-07-15, 431 measurements from USGS well USGS-481058101120403 (154-082-03cdc3), part of the National Water Information System. The qualifying bar and the OLS fit behind this trend are documented in the methodology guide.
Where Ward County ranks
Of the 1,449 US counties with a usable trend, Ward County ranks 1338th from fastest-rising to fastest-declining, 1 is the fastest-rising water table measured, 1449 the fastest-declining. About 68,427 people live in Ward County, North Dakota. See the fastest-moving counties guide for how Ward County stacks up against the most extreme cases nationally.
What a declining table means for a well pump
Because Ward 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 Ward 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.