Sample report
This is a genuine report, generated from live public records for a rural parcel between Caldwell and Greenleaf in Canyon County. Nothing on this page is mocked up. It is also honest about what is missing — the sections still being built say so.
See a sparse rural example instead — a Gem County point with so few nearby wells that the search radius had to widen.
At a glance
- Parcel
- R3637300000
- about 34.83 acres
- Wells on record
- 108
- within 1 mile
- Typical depth
- 40-463 ft
- 83 wells reporting
- Drilling estimate
- $5,400–9,300
- borehole only, at median depth
- Flood zone
- X
- Water rights
- 26
- oldest priority 1866
2 things to check before you close
Ranked by how much is at stake. Each one names who can actually answer it.
- 1Check this
Nearby well depths vary widely — 40 to 463 ft
Wells within 1 mile range from 40 to 463 ft, a 12x spread, with a median of 155 ft. Drilling is priced per foot, so that spread is the difference between a routine job and a serious one. A single quote will not capture the risk.
What to do: Get written per-foot quotes from at least two licensed Idaho drillers, and ask each what depth they are actually hitting in this area right now.
- 2Worth knowing
Septic here is limited by slow percolation
Soil survey records for Greenleaf-Owyhee silt loams, 0 to 1 percent slopes flag one limitation for a conventional drainfield: slow percolation. Slow percolation on its own is common and usually addressed with drainfield sizing rather than a different system type.
What to do: Ask whether a larger drainfield is needed, and what that adds to the install. Southwest District Health decides this after a site evaluation - a soil map cannot.
Location
Where this is, and who decides what can be built on it.
- County
- Canyon
- Assessor parcel
- R3637300000about 34.83 acres
- Septic permitted by
- Southwest District Health208-455-5300
This point falls inside assessor parcel R3637300000. Its mapped area works out to about 34.83 acres. That figure comes from the county assessor polygon, which is maintained for taxation rather than for conveyance - only a licensed surveyor establishes real boundaries and acreage.
Nearby wells
108 within 1 mileWhat the neighbors hit, how deep they had to go, and how much water they found.
- Well depth
- 40-463 ft (median 155 ft)
- from the 83 of 108 nearby wells that report a value
- Depth to water
- 1-484 ft (median 29 ft)
- from the 87 of 108 nearby wells that report a value; 14 recorded as 0 and excluded as not reported
- Reported yield
- 12-300 gpm (median 50 gpm)
- from the 86 of 108 nearby wells that report a value; 12 recorded as 0 and excluded as not reported
- All 86 nearby wells reporting a yield are at or above 6 gpm, the suggested minimum flow for most single-family homes. Larger homes need more. Source: Water System Planning - Estimating Water Needs (Water Facts #2) (Virginia Cooperative Extension, wellwater.bse.vt.edu, retrieved 2026-09-29).
- Drilled
- 1958 to 2026
- from the 103 of 108 nearby wells with a usable construction date
Well depth is how far the driller went in total. Depth to water is how far down water was standing when the well was finished — it is usually far shallower than the well, and it is not how deep you would have to drill. Yield is gallons per minute the well produced on the day it was tested.
What the closest wells show
The closest 3 wells on record sit 0.1 to 0.2 miles away. They were drilled 174 to 463 ft deep. That is more than double from one to the next, so budget against 463 ft rather than the middle. Water was standing 3 ft below the surface when each was finished. They reported 60 to 150 gpm. All of them were located from a section description rather than a survey, so the distances above are approximate.
| Distance | Location from | Depth | Depth to water | Yield | Drilled | Recorded use | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 188 ft | 3 ft | 150 gpm | 2003 | Domestic-Single Residence | View log |
| 0.1 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 463 ft | — | 60 gpm | 2005 | Domestic-Single Residence | View log |
| 0.2 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 174 ft | — | — | 1969 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.2 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 186 ft | — | 100 gpm | 2005 | Domestic | View log |
| 0.2 mi | surveyed | 196 ft | — | 25 gpm | 2008 | Domestic-Single Residence | View log |
| 0.2 mi | surveyed | 62 ft | 11 ft | 35 gpm | 2016 | Domestic-Single Residence | View log |
| 0.2 mi | digitized map | 300 ft | — | 90 gpm | 2024 | Fire Protection | View log |
| 0.3 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | — | 5 ft | — | 1999 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.3 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | — | — | 60 gpm | 1997 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.3 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | — | — | — | — | not recorded | View log |
| 0.3 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 150 ft | 20 ft | 60 gpm | — | not recorded | View log |
| 0.3 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 75 ft | 15 ft | 100 gpm | 1967 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.3 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 42 ft | 11 ft | 30 gpm | 1975 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.3 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 90 ft | 13 ft | 60 gpm | 2004 | Domestic-Single Residence | View log |
| 0.3 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 174 ft | — | 200 gpm | 1960 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.3 mi | digitized map | 88 ft | 48 ft | 17 gpm | 2019 | Domestic-Single Residence | View log |
| 0.4 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | — | — | — | — | not recorded | View log |
| 0.4 mi | digitized map | 220 ft | 27 ft | 300 gpm | 2020 | Commercial | View log |
| 0.4 mi | digitized map | 174 ft | 6 ft | 40 gpm | 2022 | Domestic-Single Residence | View log |
| 0.5 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | — | 1 ft | 20 gpm | 1996 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.5 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | — | 27 ft | 50 gpm | 1996 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.5 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | — | 1 ft | 20 gpm | 1994 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.5 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | — | — | — | — | not recorded | View log |
| 0.5 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 54 ft | — | 100 gpm | 1960 | not recorded | View log |
| 0.5 mi | section (40 ac)±933 ft | 90 ft | — | 30 gpm | 1958 | not recorded | View log |
What limits these numbers
- 86 of 108 nearby wells were located from a section description or a digitized map rather than a survey, so their distances are approximate - a well shown at 0.3 miles could be a quarter of a mile either side of that. Wells located this way often share a section corner, which is why some map pins sit on top of each other.
- 21 of these wells were drilled before July 1987, when reporting became more consistent. Their records are more likely to be incomplete.
- IDWR records contain most well reports from July 1987 onward. Earlier records are less complete, and some wells were never reported.
Typical local costs
What getting water out of the ground here is likely to run.
Drilling a well at this locationestimate
$5,400 – $9,300
at the 155 ft median depth of the 83 nearby wells that reported one
Most wells around here land between 54 ft and 251 ft, which puts the realistic range at $1,900 – $15,000. Budget for the top of that, not the middle.
Borehole only — excludes casing, pump and pressure tank, electrical and trenching, permits and site work. Median depth of 155 ft from 83 nearby well records, multiplied by a published statewide rate of $35-$60 per foot. Borehole only. Rate source: Well and Septic Cost in Rural Idaho (2026) (swagerbuilds.com, retrieved 2026-09-29).
| Item | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Drilling a domestic wellBorehole only. Casing, pump and pressure tank are usually quoted separately, so treat this as the starting line rather than the finished cost. | $35-$60 per footestimate | Well and Septic Cost in Rural Idaho (2026) (swagerbuilds.com, retrieved 2026-09-29) |
| Pump, pressure tank and installationComplete well installed, spanning shallow and deep cases. Depth is the biggest driver, which is why the nearby-well range above matters more than any average. | $9k-$25k totalestimate | Well and Septic Cost in Rural Idaho (2026) (swagerbuilds.com, retrieved 2026-09-29) |
| Conventional septic system, installedSpans conventional through engineered systems. Which one a site needs is decided by the health district after a site evaluation, and the difference is most of this range. | $8k-$20k totalestimate | Well and Septic Cost in Rural Idaho (2026) (swagerbuilds.com, retrieved 2026-09-29) |
Rows marked estimate are published statewide ballparks, not quotes from this county. Use them to frame a budget, then get written quotes — a local driller's number is the only one worth planning around.
Water rights and irrigation
26 recordedWhat water is already claimed on this ground, and how old those claims are.
This point sits inside the place of use for 26 recorded water rights, and every one of them is district-scale - the polygon covers an irrigation district or project, not this parcel. That usually means the ground lies within a delivery area, which is worth knowing, but it is not evidence that a right attaches to this parcel. The oldest priority date among them is 1866, and in Idaho an older date is a stronger claim when water is short. Recorded uses include irrigation. A title company confirms what actually conveys.
| Right | Priority | Use | Source | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63-161BU | 1866 | IRRIGATION | BOISE RIVER | a whole district |
| 63-371 | 1884 | IRRIGATION | BOISE RIVER | a whole district |
| 63-224 | 1890 | IRRIGATION | BOISE RIVER | a whole district |
| 63-225 | 1904 | IRRIGATION | BOISE RIVER | a whole district |
| 63-294 | 1905 | IRRIGATION | BOISE RIVER | a whole district |
| 63-295 | 1908 | IRRIGATION | BOISE RIVER | a whole district |
| 63-2114 | 1909 | IRRIGATION | INDIAN CREEK | a whole district |
| 63-32584 | 1910 | IRRIGATION | INDIAN CREEK | a whole district |
| 63-21713 | 1913 | IRRIGATION | PIPE GULCH DRAW CREEK | a whole district |
| 63-2275 | 1915 | IRRIGATION | WILSON DRAIN | a whole district |
| 63-2276 | 1915 | IRRIGATION | MASON CREEK | a whole district |
| 63-2294 | 1916 | IRRIGATION | FIVEMILE CREEK | a whole district |
Showing the 12 oldest of 26. Older is stronger: Idaho is a first-in-time state, so in a short year the newest rights are curtailed first.
Soils and septic screening
What a septic drainfield here would have to overcome, and what that adds.
Dominant soil: Greenleaf-Owyhee silt loams, 0 to 1 percent slopes · septic suitability Very limited
Why it is limited — and what to ask about each
Nearly every Idaho soil rates "Very limited" for a conventional drainfield, so the rating alone tells you little. These specific limitations are what change the cost.
Slow percolation
Ask whether a larger drainfield is needed, and what that adds to the install.
| Soil component | Share | Septic rating |
|---|---|---|
| Greenleaf | 65% | Very limited |
| Owyhee | 25% | Very limited |
Soil survey maps at roughly 1:24,000 — a map unit covers acres, not a drainfield. Only a site evaluation by your health district decides what can be permitted.
Flood zone
Whether FEMA maps this ground as flood-prone, and what that means for a loan.
This point is in Zone X (area of minimal flood hazard), outside FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Area. Flood insurance is not federally required, which is not a promise the parcel will never flood.
- Zone
- X
- FIRM panel
- 16027C
Areas of drilling concern
Whether the state imposes extra well construction rules on this ground.
Who to call next
The people who can answer what public records cannot.
A licensed Idaho well driller
Only a driller can tell you what depth and yield to expect here, and what it would cost. Get more than one quote.
Southwest District Health
Permits septic systems in this county and can tell you what site evaluation is required before you buy.
208-455-5300 - https://phd3.idaho.gov
A title company
Confirms water rights, easements and liens, and what actually conveys with the parcel.
A licensed land surveyor
Establishes real boundaries and acreage. Listed acreage is often approximate.
County planning and zoning
Confirms permitted uses, setbacks and whether the parcel can legally be built on.
Sources
- Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) well logsRetrieved 2026-09-30. IDWR records contain most well reports from July 1987 onward. Earlier records are less complete, and some wells were never reported.
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Data Access (SSURGO)Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard LayerRetrieved 2026-09-30.
- IDWR Areas of Drilling ConcernRetrieved 2026-09-30.
Report generated 2026-09-30. Schema version 1. Disclaimer version 2026-09-28.
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