OR · wells & permits
Water wells in Oregon
Real drilling records, county depth medians, active contractors, and exactly what it takes to pull a well permit in Oregon.
The permit, in plain language
Files onlineverified landing
Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD)
ORS 537.762; HB 2145
- Instrument
- start_card
- Fee
- $350 (eff. 2024-07-01)
- Who files
- Licensed driller must file
- Timeline
- Start card 60d to 72h before construction
Start card; e-only since 2024-07-01
Before the rig arrives
- Confirm parcel allows a private well (vs required public water connection).
- Select a licensed well contractor; obtain owner authorization as required.
- File start_card online via the authority portal (deep-link below).
- Do not drill until authorization is issued (or notification accepted, per regime).
After drilling: Well report (e-only) within 30 days → Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) · filing link ↗
Forms: OR well application · Well report (e-only)
WellMap prepares estimate-backed quote packets and dual-party approvals. It does not issue permits and never auto-submits to government systems. The licensed driller (and/or owner where required by law) is the submitter of record. Verified 2026-07-14.
Top drillers on record
| Contractor | Wells | Median depth |
|---|---|---|
| GEO TECH EXPLORATIONS INC. | 5,432 | 20 ft |
| CASCADE DRILLING LP | 4,859 | 25 ft |
| CLOUSER DRILLING INC | 3,436 | 202 ft |
| ABBAS WELL DRILLING CO | 3,045 | 372 ft |
| MARTINSON WELL DRILLING | 2,938 | 145 ft |
| CASEY JONES WELL DRILLING | 2,623 | 160 ft |
| CASCADE DRILLING INC. | 2,522 | 24 ft |
| MATHERS DRILLING CO | 2,498 | 48 ft |
| GRIBBLE WELL DRILLING | 2,486 | 200 ft |
| MOHR WELL DRILLING | 2,168 | 175 ft |
County by county
Depth statistics across Oregon
Medians from wells with verified total depth. Click a county for its permit authority, fee and filing channel.
| County | Wells | With depth | Median | p10–p90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MULT | 97,468 | 60,000 | 20 ft | 7–80 ft |
| LANE | 52,355 | 43,788 | 80 ft | 15–300 ft |
| CLAC | 48,044 | 39,044 | 100 ft | 15–346 ft |
| WASH | 44,557 | 31,709 | 40 ft | 14–325 ft |
| MARI | 40,086 | 33,046 | 100 ft | 17–308 ft |
| JACK | 37,627 | 33,758 | 150 ft | 27–407 ft |
| LINN | 28,572 | 24,607 | 67 ft | 20–286 ft |
| JOSE | 27,752 | 25,038 | 125 ft | 52–300 ft |
| DESC | 23,944 | 21,823 | 103 ft | 30–600 ft |
| DOUG | 18,901 | 16,579 | 118 ft | 20–300 ft |
| KLAM | 18,883 | 15,816 | 130 ft | 15–465 ft |
| YAMH | 16,482 | 13,845 | 125 ft | 18–345 ft |
| BENT | 14,282 | 12,071 | 92 ft | 20–325 ft |
| UMAT | 13,137 | 11,551 | 150 ft | 20–500 ft |
| COOS | 12,655 | 10,390 | 63 ft | 15–200 ft |
| COLU | 9,056 | 7,442 | 120 ft | 19–360 ft |
| POLK | 8,846 | 7,083 | 95 ft | 17–300 ft |
| CROO | 8,061 | 7,217 | 235 ft | 23–630 ft |
| LAKE | 7,923 | 7,330 | 106 ft | 3–464 ft |
| MALH | 6,910 | 5,549 | 78 ft | 20–400 ft |
| LINC | 6,492 | 5,158 | 68 ft | 16–205 ft |
| CLAT | 6,215 | 4,089 | 24 ft | 10–100 ft |
| UNIO | 5,184 | 4,131 | 140 ft | 23–443 ft |
| HARN | 5,137 | 4,684 | 160 ft | 21–500 ft |
| WASC | 4,750 | 4,108 | 217 ft | 15–600 ft |
| TILL | 4,718 | 3,668 | 63 ft | 15–210 ft |
| BAKE | 4,593 | 3,799 | 125 ft | 20–341 ft |
| CURR | 4,546 | 3,806 | 60 ft | 22–200 ft |
| MORR | 3,793 | 3,286 | 105 ft | 25–475 ft |
| JEFF | 2,476 | 2,238 | 246 ft | 24–655 ft |
| GRAN | 2,348 | 1,949 | 146 ft | 18–400 ft |
| WALL | 1,977 | 1,871 | 125 ft | 36–435 ft |
| HOOD | 1,629 | 1,310 | 50 ft | 15–270 ft |
| GILL | 1,078 | 902 | 65 ft | 25–580 ft |
| WHEE | 808 | 697 | 150 ft | 39–462 ft |
| SHER | 617 | 511 | 208 ft | 25–490 ft |
| Lane | 2 | 2 | 52 ft | 26–78 ft |
| Linn | 1 | 0 | — | — |