Well Water in Black Forest / Falcon, Colorado

El Paso County · Population ~30,000 · Aquifer: Denver Basin (Dawson / Arapahoe)

Hardness: Moderate to Hard (varies by aquifer depth)

The Depletion Crisis

The Denver Basin aquifer system beneath Black Forest and Falcon is being pumped far faster than it recharges. Colorado's "100-year rule" — established in 1974 — assumed aquifer water could be withdrawn at 1% per year for a century. We are now 50 years into that 100-year window.

El Paso County adopted a more conservative "300-year rule," but the math is still grim. A deep well into one of the deeper aquifers has a practical lifespan of only 15 to 20 years before it's no longer economical to pump. New deep wells cost over $1 million for water districts. For individual homeowners, replacement wells run $15,000-$50,000+.

A 2024 USGS study found water level declines across all four Denver Basin aquifers in El Paso County, with the Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer declining at 9.9 feet per year — the fastest rate of any layer. The Arapahoe is declining at 1.9 feet per year, the Denver at 3.2 feet per year.

The Thinning Edge

Black Forest sits where the Dawson Formation — the shallowest and most accessible aquifer — thins to its outcrop edge. In less than 10 miles, the Dawson transitions from a thick water-bearing sequence to nothing. This "abrupt reduction in thickness" creates boundary conditions in the aquifer that accelerate depletion.

The population of El Paso County has nearly doubled from 397,890 in 1990 to 731,800 in 2020, and aggressive development continues in the Falcon corridor along Highway 24. Every new subdivision means more straws in a shrinking cup.

Monument, Palmer Lake, Woodmoor, Tri-View, Meridian Ranch, Paint Brush Hills, and Falcon all need more water — and there isn't more water to be had from the Denver Basin.

Upper Black Squirrel Creek — Falcon's Other Aquifer

Parts of the Falcon area also draw from the Upper Black Squirrel Creek alluvial aquifer, a shallow groundwater source. Dry weather and increasing withdrawals have depleted this aquifer severely — approximately 70 of the 100-foot thickness has already been withdrawn, raising serious concern about its future.

Unlike the Denver Basin bedrock aquifers, the Black Squirrel Creek aquifer is alluvial and can recharge, but not at the rate it's being pumped. It's being used up faster than snowmelt can refill it.

What Black Forest / Falcon Well Owners Should Know

If you're on a well in this area, water quantity is as much a concern as water quality. Monitor your well's production rate over time. If yield is declining, you're seeing the aquifer depletion in real time.

For water quality: test for iron, manganese, hardness, bacteria, and nitrates. Deeper wells accessing the Arapahoe or Laramie-Fox Hills aquifers will generally have higher total dissolved solids. The Laramie-Fox Hills can produce water with TDS up to 2,000 mg/L.

Consider water conservation seriously. The Black Forest Water & Wells community organization is a valuable local resource. See our testing guide for labs and costs.