The Driller’s Atlas · Plate 3

Colorado, drilled

The State Engineer’s permit file for Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, one issue year at a time: 469,768 located permits with an issue date, 1900 to 2026. Every year’s new permits land bright and settle to an ember. Drag the year, or press play. A permit is a piece of paper: it says a well was allowed, not that one was drilled, and the year is the date it was issued.

Loading the permit file…

Year

3,827 permits issued in 2026 · 469,768 issued through 2026

issued this year the three years before older monitoring holes, on the bars only

Permits issued per year, 1950–2026, by issue date. 85 dated permits before 1950 are on the map from the first frame and in the table below. Click a bar to jump the map to that year.

Every year’s count, as a table

Located permits with an issue year, Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Monitoring holes are counted apart because they are drilled to look, not to pump.

Year	Issued	Supply wells	Monitoring holes	Issued through this year
1900	7	7	0	7
1901	2	2	0	9
1902	1	1	0	10
1903	3	3	0	13
1905	2	2	0	15
1906	4	4	0	19
1907	5	5	0	24
1908	9	8	1	33
1909	4	4	0	37
1910	6	6	0	43
1911	2	2	0	45
1912	1	0	1	46
1915	1	1	0	47
1916	1	1	0	48
1919	2	2	0	50
1926	2	1	1	52
1928	2	2	0	54
1930	4	4	0	58
1934	8	8	0	66
1935	2	2	0	68
1936	2	2	0	70
1938	1	1	0	71
1939	2	2	0	73
1942	1	1	0	74
1944	3	2	1	77
1945	5	5	0	82
1947	1	1	0	83
1948	2	2	0	85
1950	5	5	0	90
1951	1	1	0	91
1952	5	5	0	96
1953	537	537	0	633
1954	1,578	1,578	0	2,211
1955	2,546	2,546	0	4,757
1956	1,833	1,833	0	6,590
1957	1,585	1,585	0	8,175
1958	1,205	1,205	0	9,380
1959	1,957	1,957	0	11,337
1960	4,218	4,217	1	15,555
1961	1,035	1,035	0	16,590
1962	1,042	1,042	0	17,632
1963	1,528	1,527	1	19,160
1964	1,714	1,714	0	20,874
1965	1,700	1,698	2	22,574
1966	1,504	1,503	1	24,078
1967	1,494	1,494	0	25,572
1968	1,585	1,585	0	27,157
1969	1,741	1,741	0	28,898
1970	1,774	1,773	1	30,672
1971	2,743	2,743	0	33,415
1972	16,425	16,425	0	49,840
1973	6,800	6,796	4	56,640
1974	3,681	3,679	2	60,321
1975	2,810	2,810	0	63,131
1976	3,545	3,542	3	66,676
1977	5,930	5,928	2	72,606
1978	8,761	8,761	0	81,367
1979	8,575	8,575	0	89,942
1980	5,353	5,348	5	95,295
1981	5,996	5,946	50	101,291
1982	5,478	5,452	26	106,769
1983	6,192	6,114	78	112,961
1984	5,553	5,505	48	118,514
1985	5,881	5,379	502	124,395
1986	6,049	5,603	446	130,444
1987	6,071	5,519	552	136,515
1988	5,452	4,548	904	141,967
1989	6,295	4,989	1,306	148,262
1990	7,204	5,329	1,875	155,466
1991	8,299	5,867	2,432	163,765
1992	9,133	6,580	2,553	172,898
1993	11,320	8,686	2,634	184,218
1994	13,222	9,770	3,452	197,440
1995	12,462	9,654	2,808	209,902
1996	13,083	9,952	3,131	222,985
1997	11,690	9,111	2,579	234,675
1998	13,032	9,676	3,356	247,707
1999	12,222	9,250	2,972	259,929
2000	12,753	9,874	2,879	272,682
2001	11,734	9,193	2,541	284,416
2002	13,347	10,302	3,045	297,763
2003	12,753	9,485	3,268	310,516
2004	10,744	6,926	3,818	321,260
2005	9,886	6,862	3,024	331,146
2006	7,955	6,426	1,529	339,101
2007	7,134	6,022	1,112	346,235
2008	6,281	4,979	1,302	352,516
2009	5,284	4,132	1,152	357,800
2010	9,608	8,537	1,071	367,408
2011	5,073	3,784	1,289	372,481
2012	5,646	4,225	1,421	378,127
2013	5,742	3,904	1,838	383,869
2014	6,016	3,889	2,127	389,885
2015	5,861	3,920	1,941	395,746
2016	6,930	3,963	2,967	402,676
2017	6,827	4,607	2,220	409,503
2018	7,707	5,325	2,382	417,210
2019	6,965	4,545	2,420	424,175
2020	7,187	4,908	2,279	431,362
2021	8,644	6,118	2,526	440,006
2022	7,862	5,532	2,330	447,868
2023	5,866	4,239	1,627	453,734
2024	5,808	3,825	1,983	459,542
2025	6,399	3,882	2,517	465,941
2026	3,827	2,701	1,126	469,768

Plate 4

When each district drilled

Water-supply permits issued per year in each of the 78 water districts in the file, 1950–2026, on one vertical scale, so the heights compare. The district where half the permits came latest is at the top. Monitoring holes are left out here; the table has them. The tallest bar anywhere is 2,700 in a year; a district with only a few hundred permits barely registers on that scale, and the count at the right of each row says how thin its evidence is.

Purgatoire River WD 19 4,827 · half by 2010
Apishapa River WD 18 956 · half by 2009
Roan Creek Basin WD 70 300 · half by 2009
White River Basin WD 43 2,247 · half by 2009
Green River Basin WD 56 73 · half by 2006
Sand Creek WD 76 115 · half by 2003
Trinchera Creek WD 35 2,993 · half by 2003
Navajo Reservoir WD 46 381 · half by 2003
Disappointment Creek Basin WD 69 42 · half by 2003
Huerfano River WD 79 1,146 · half by 2002
North Fork/Tribs. WD 40 2,991 · half by 2002
Cucharas River WD 16 1,807 · half by 2001
Culebra Creek WD 24 947 · half by 2001
San Luis Creek WD 25 2,166 · half by 2001
Lower Gunnison River WD 42 485 · half by 2001
Dolores River Basin WD 63 212 · half by 2001
Little Dolores River WD 73 442 · half by 2001
Tribs. North of Colorado River WD 53 585 · half by 2001
Navajo River Basin WD 77 229 · half by 2001
Middle Yampa River WD 57 834 · half by 2000
Los Pinos River Basin WD 31 5,359 · half by 2000
La Plata River Basin WD 33 1,469 · half by 2000
South Platte: Greeley to Balzac WD 1 40,272 · half by 1999
Arkansas: Headwaters to Salida WD 11 10,131 · half by 1999
Wet Mountain Valley WD 13 4,702 · half by 1999
Saint Charles WD 15 2,781 · half by 1999
Conejos Creek WD 22 2,505 · half by 1999
San Miguel River Basin WD 60 2,518 · half by 1999
Lower Colorado River WD 72 1,872 · half by 1999
Upper South Platte WD 23 15,383 · half by 1998
Arkansas: Salida to Portland WD 12 13,374 · half by 1998
Alamosa La Jara WD 21 1,711 · half by 1998
Upper Gunnison River WD 62 1,361 · half by 1998
Upper Uncompahgre River WD 68 839 · half by 1998
Divide Creek WD 45 2,133 · half by 1998
Muddy/Troublesome Creeks WD 50 865 · half by 1998
Lower Yampa River WD 44 2,301 · half by 1998
Little Snake River WD 55 202 · half by 1998
Upper Yampa River WD 58 3,774 · half by 1998
Piedra River Basin WD 78 1,165 · half by 1998
Arkansas: Fowler to Las Animas WD 17 6,249 · half by 1997
Paradox Creek WD 61 165 · half by 1997
Rifle/Elk/Parachute Creeks WD 39 2,382 · half by 1997
Upper Colorado/Fraser Rivers WD 51 8,257 · half by 1997
Animas River Basin WD 30 8,187 · half by 1997
Mancos River Basin WD 34 292 · half by 1997
West Dolores Creek/Tribs. WD 71 791 · half by 1997
Laramie River WD 48 80 · half by 1996
Saguache Creek WD 26 1,157 · half by 1996
East River Basin WD 59 3,658 · half by 1996
Blue River Basin WD 36 6,653 · half by 1996
Eagle River Basin WD 37 1,456 · half by 1996
Piney/Cottonwood Creeks WD 52 200 · half by 1996
San Juan River Basin WD 29 1,441 · half by 1996
Fountain Creek WD 10 23,947 · half by 1995
Tomichi Creek WD 28 1,457 · half by 1995
Lower Uncompahgre River WD 41 1,162 · half by 1995
Roaring Fork River Basin WD 38 7,265 · half by 1995
North Platte River Basin WD 47 1,167 · half by 1995
Slater/Timberlake Creeks WD 54 368 · half by 1995
McElmo Creek Basin WD 32 561 · half by 1995
Cache La Poudre River WD 3 10,483 · half by 1994
Rio Grande WD 20 15,419 · half by 1994
Big Thompson River WD 4 5,765 · half by 1993
Arkansas: Las Animas to Stateline WD 67 8,251 · half by 1993
South Platte Cheesman to Denver Gage WD 8 30,098 · half by 1992
South Platte: Balzac to Stateline WD 64 7,479 · half by 1992
Arikaree River WD 65 10,720 · half by 1992
Arkansas: Portland to Fowler WD 14 3,470 · half by 1992
South Platte: Denver Gage to Greeley WD 2 16,848 · half by 1991
Republican River WD 49 4,838 · half by 1991
North Fork of South Platte WD 80 10,109 · half by 1991
Carnero Creek WD 27 1,703 · half by 1991
Clear Creek WD 7 9,557 · half by 1988
St. Vrain Creek WD 5 4,801 · half by 1987
Boulder Creek WD 6 10,689 · half by 1986
Bear Creek WD 9 12,416 · half by 1986
Cimarron River Basin WD 66 2,268 · half by 1986

The districts, as a table

District	Water-supply permits	Half issued by	Busiest year	Issued that year	Monitoring holes
Purgatoire River (WD 19)	4,827	2010	2010	2,700	500
Apishapa River (WD 18)	956	2009	2010	300	73
Roan Creek Basin (WD 70)	300	2009	2010	90	99
White River Basin (WD 43)	2,247	2009	2012	334	629
Green River Basin (WD 56)	73	2006	2022	7	1
Sand Creek (WD 76)	115	2003	2000	7	2
Trinchera Creek (WD 35)	2,993	2003	1972	133	369
Navajo Reservoir (WD 46)	381	2003	2010	90	1
Disappointment Creek Basin (WD 69)	42	2003	2015	4	4
Huerfano River (WD 79)	1,146	2002	1999	55	80
North Fork/Tribs. (WD 40)	2,991	2002	2002	219	645
Cucharas River (WD 16)	1,807	2001	1972	103	419
Culebra Creek (WD 24)	947	2001	1972	46	222
San Luis Creek (WD 25)	2,166	2001	1972	109	323
Lower Gunnison River (WD 42)	485	2001	1998	30	241
Dolores River Basin (WD 63)	212	2001	1985	20	44
Little Dolores River (WD 73)	442	2001	1999	21	9
Tribs. North of Colorado River (WD 53)	585	2001	2001	33	139
Navajo River Basin (WD 77)	229	2001	1998	19	50
Middle Yampa River (WD 57)	834	2000	2022	49	309
Los Pinos River Basin (WD 31)	5,359	2000	2010	1,019	254
La Plata River Basin (WD 33)	1,469	2000	2003	133	94
South Platte: Greeley to Balzac (WD 1)	40,272	1999	2001	1,212	4,988
Arkansas: Headwaters to Salida (WD 11)	10,131	1999	2002	365	837
Wet Mountain Valley (WD 13)	4,702	1999	1997	165	230
Saint Charles (WD 15)	2,781	1999	1972	135	227
Conejos Creek (WD 22)	2,505	1999	1972	264	71
San Miguel River Basin (WD 60)	2,518	1999	2002	130	1,050
Lower Colorado River (WD 72)	1,872	1999	2004	81	2,231
Upper South Platte (WD 23)	15,383	1998	1997	596	821
Arkansas: Salida to Portland (WD 12)	13,374	1998	1972	562	1,181
Alamosa La Jara (WD 21)	1,711	1998	1972	284	124
Upper Gunnison River (WD 62)	1,361	1998	1995	55	174
Upper Uncompahgre River (WD 68)	839	1998	1994	34	141
Divide Creek (WD 45)	2,133	1998	2000	120	939
Muddy/Troublesome Creeks (WD 50)	865	1998	2001	45	47
Lower Yampa River (WD 44)	2,301	1998	2022	126	670
Little Snake River (WD 55)	202	1998	2021	14	46
Upper Yampa River (WD 58)	3,774	1998	1979	155	722
Piedra River Basin (WD 78)	1,165	1998	2010	67	12
Arkansas: Fowler to Las Animas (WD 17)	6,249	1997	1960	246	872
Paradox Creek (WD 61)	165	1997	1983	24	60
Rifle/Elk/Parachute Creeks (WD 39)	2,382	1997	1981	101	1,156
Upper Colorado/Fraser Rivers (WD 51)	8,257	1997	1999	319	621
Animas River Basin (WD 30)	8,187	1997	2010	856	701
Mancos River Basin (WD 34)	292	1997	1996	26	94
West Dolores Creek/Tribs. (WD 71)	791	1997	1994	37	207
Laramie River (WD 48)	80	1996	1980	6	8
Saguache Creek (WD 26)	1,157	1996	1972	155	83
East River Basin (WD 59)	3,658	1996	1996	146	535
Blue River Basin (WD 36)	6,653	1996	1994	219	1,017
Eagle River Basin (WD 37)	1,456	1996	1992	72	913
Piney/Cottonwood Creeks (WD 52)	200	1996	1993	9	48
San Juan River Basin (WD 29)	1,441	1996	1973	98	170
Fountain Creek (WD 10)	23,947	1995	1972	1,004	5,904
Tomichi Creek (WD 28)	1,457	1995	1978	87	256
Lower Uncompahgre River (WD 41)	1,162	1995	2005	60	695
Roaring Fork River Basin (WD 38)	7,265	1995	2000	235	1,588
North Platte River Basin (WD 47)	1,167	1995	1998	51	136
Slater/Timberlake Creeks (WD 54)	368	1995	1984	32	23
McElmo Creek Basin (WD 32)	561	1995	1982	41	220
Cache La Poudre River (WD 3)	10,483	1994	1960	398	3,761
Rio Grande (WD 20)	15,419	1994	1972	1,895	1,300
Big Thompson River (WD 4)	5,765	1993	1972	331	1,543
Arkansas: Las Animas to Stateline (WD 67)	8,251	1993	1972	249	1,607
South Platte Cheesman to Denver Gage (WD 8)	30,098	1992	1972	1,474	16,137
South Platte: Balzac to Stateline (WD 64)	7,479	1992	2003	311	1,351
Arikaree River (WD 65)	10,720	1992	1978	325	487
Arkansas: Portland to Fowler (WD 14)	3,470	1992	1960	229	1,635
South Platte: Denver Gage to Greeley (WD 2)	16,848	1991	1972	664	15,829
Republican River (WD 49)	4,838	1991	2000	206	342
North Fork of South Platte (WD 80)	10,109	1991	1972	745	285
Carnero Creek (WD 27)	1,703	1991	1972	146	107
Clear Creek (WD 7)	9,557	1988	1972	646	4,014
St. Vrain Creek (WD 5)	4,801	1987	1972	464	2,416
Boulder Creek (WD 6)	10,689	1986	1972	862	3,487
Bear Creek (WD 9)	12,416	1986	1972	934	690
Cimarron River Basin (WD 66)	2,268	1986	1975	118	148

Located permits with an issue date. “Half issued by” is the year the district’s running total of water-supply permits passed half of today’s; each district’s own page has its full year-by-year table.

What this plate can’t show

Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 only. The permit file on this server covers 78 water districts of Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; the rest of the state is not blank, it is not loaded yet.
A permit is not a well. Some permitted wells were never drilled; some permits replaced a well already in the ground; a few wells were drilled under more than one permit. Nothing here counts drilled holes.
The year is the issue date. Not the application date, not the day a rig showed up. 122,726 located permits carry no issue date at all and are never drawn, which is why the last frame holds 469,768 points and the district list counts 592,494.
Nothing is finer than about a mile. 77% of permits are located by section lines or quarters, not GPS; nothing here is honest below ~1 mile. The map stops zooming where a point would start to look like a location.
The points don’t say how much water. No yield, no depth, no water level is drawn here; the depth plate and the cross-section carry what the file has of those.

The spring of 1972, in the application file

The tallest bar is 1972: 16,425 permits issued, against 2,743 the year before and 6,800 the year after. The permits also record the date each application was received, and those dates cluster in a few months. The statute that was in force names a date:

“With respect to applications filed prior to May 8, 1972, the state engineer shall issue a permit for the construction of wells specified in subsection (1) of this section without regard to the provisions of section 37-90-137 (2) and (3) upon submission of an application which shall be accompanied by a fee of five dollars.” C.R.S. § 37-92-602(2)

“With respect to applications filed on and after May 8, 1972, the state engineer shall first make a determination as to whether or not the exercise of the requested permit will materially injure the vested water rights of others or any other existing well …” C.R.S. § 37-92-602(3)(b)(I)

Applications received, by month, with the statute’s date marked. The file records the dates; whether the two are cause and effect it does not say.

Month	Applications received
1971-01	104
1971-02	149
1971-03	207
1971-04	254
1971-05	222
1971-06	326
1971-07	282
1971-08	264
1971-09	236
1971-10	179
1971-11	140
1971-12	223
1972-01	196
1972-02	1,584
1972-03	4,166
1972-04	3,472
1972-05 · May 8 line	1,748
1972-06	1,023
1972-07	825
1972-08	856
1972-09	668
1972-10	606
1972-11	352
1972-12	274
1973-01	378
1973-02	417
1973-03	678
1973-04	655
1973-05	609
1973-06	699
1973-07	772
1973-08	720
1973-09	569
1973-10	488
1973-11	417
1973-12	319

Months from 1968-01 to 1975-12 are in the bundle; the three years around the date are shown. The lesson Three kinds of well explains what an exempt permit is and is not.

Data: DWR’s well-permit file as cached by this site, 598,010 permits, 592,494 located; bundle version 1788955278. Each point on the map opens its permit’s own page when the map is zoomed in. The other plates: how deep the wells go (Plate 1), a cross-section of the file (Plate 2).