Well documents: what we copy, and how to remove one

What we copy

Colorado's Division of Water Resources (DWR) publishes the paperwork filed for water wells in its public document archive: permit files, well construction and pump-test reports, and geophysical logs. Hydrohistorian keeps a copy of those documents so that hydrogeologists, engineers and researchers can find and use them in bulk, and so the technical details in them (the rock and soil a well passed through, its casing, its water level, its tested yield) can be read alongside the rest of the state's groundwater record.

Every document we hold links to DWR's own copy. DWR's archive remains the official record.

What is in them

These are public records, filed with the state. Many carry the name and address of the well's owner at the time of the permit, and sometimes the names of drillers and pump installers. We do not add anything to them, and we do not combine owner names with other data about people.

Asking for a document to be removed

If a document we hold names you or your property and you would like our copy taken down, email hello@hydrohistorian.com with the web address of the document or the well's permit or receipt number. You do not need to give a reason.

What happens next:

• We remove our copy of the document from our servers, and our tools stop offering it.
• Our list still says the document exists, with a link to DWR's copy, because DWR continues to publish it. Removal from DWR's archive is a request to DWR, not to us.
• Technical facts drawn from the document (depths, casing, water levels, test results) stay, because they describe the well rather than a person. If you believe one of them identifies you, say so in the same email and we will review it.
• We keep a record of which document was removed and when, but not who asked.

Mistakes

If a document is attached to the wrong well, or something we read from it is wrong, tell us at the same address or through the feedback form. Corrections are listed on the trust page.