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How deep are water wells in Ponder, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Ponder, Texas are typically 420 to 500 feet deep (median 460 ft, 135 wells drilled in the last 10 years). Nearly all draw from the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 99%), according to the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (TWDB). Estimated cost of a complete well at the median depth: $14,000 to $34,000.

Updated every day from Texas Water Development Board driller reports. Last update: November 11, 2026, using the state file of November 10, 2026.

See the wells and layers at an exact pointDenton County
What is under Ponder, TexasUnderground column at the center of Ponder: median well 460 ft, middle half 420 to 500 ft, water at 296 ft, and the layers of the state's model with their thickness.Washita and Fredericksburg: 0 to 295 ftWashita and Frederick…Upper Trinity: 295 to 761 ftUpper Trinitycontinues to 1,073 ft0200400600ftGround level · 751 ft above sea levelMedian well: 460 ftWater standing in the well from 296 ftWater level296 ftMiddle half420–500 ftMedian well460 ft

Under Ponder, Denton County

Layers at the center of Ponder from TWDB's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (quarter mile cells, summarized here to about 1.3 miles), at true depth scale. The well and the water are the median of 135 real wells.

Home wells in and around Ponder

Each dot is a home well from a state driller report, colored by depth. Tap one for its details and official report. Tap an empty spot to see what is under that point.

See underground

Well depth (ft)

  • <100
  • 100
  • 200
  • 300
  • 400
  • 600
  • 800+

Dashed line: Ponder and about 2 miles around it

Key figures

Typical depth (middle half)
420 to 500 feet
Median depth
460 feet
Deepest 10% are past
530 feet
Water level (median)
296 feet
56 wells
Yield (median)
15 gpm
96 wells, gallons per minute
Wells used
135
In the last 10 years
Inside the city limits
3
the rest within 2 miles
All years on file
220
median 440 ft, since 2002
Confidence
Standard (30 or more wells)

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 296 feet below the surface (56 wells).

What is under Ponder, TexasUnderground column at the center of Ponder: median well 460 ft, middle half 420 to 500 ft, water at 296 ft, and the layers of the state's model with their thickness.Washita and Fredericksburg: 0 to 295 ftWashita and Frederick…Upper Trinity: 295 to 761 ftUpper Trinitycontinues to 1,073 ft0200400600ftGround level · 751 ft above sea levelMedian well: 460 ftWater standing in the well from 296 ftWater level296 ftMiddle half420–500 ftMedian well460 ft
Layers at the center of Ponder from TWDB's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (quarter mile cells, summarized here to about 1.3 miles), at true depth scale. The well and the water are the median of 135 real wells.

Which formation do wells in Ponder draw from?

Nearly all draw from the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 99%), according to the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (TWDB).

Layer (state's model)ShareWellsTypical depth (ft)
Upper TrinityPaluxy and Glen Rose99%134420–500
Washita and Fredericksburg1%1—

For 98% of these wells the report says where the water enters (the screen or the open hole), and we use the middle of that interval.

The layers under the center of Ponder

From the state's model, at 751 feet above sea level. These are the model's depths at that one point, not those of any particular lot.

Depths in feet below ground.
Layer (state's model)Top (ft)Bottom (ft)Thickness (ft)
Washita and Fredericksburglimestone, marl and clay0295295
Upper Trinitysandstone, limestone and marl295761465
Lower Trinitysandstone with shale and limestone7611,073312

Depth over time

Home well depth in and around Ponder has not changed meaningfully in 20 years: the median was 450 feet in 2003 to 2007 and 440 feet in 2021 to 2025 (a difference under 10% or within the margin of error).

PeriodMedian depth (ft)Wells
2001–200548119
2006–201042033
2011–201544018
2016–202046584
2021–202544059
2026under 10 wells7

What a well costs in Ponder

At the median depth for Ponder (460 feet), a complete home well would cost roughly $14,000 to $34,000: $25 to $60 per foot for drilling, casing and seal, plus $2,500 to $6,500 for the pump, pressure tank, controls and hookup at the well. Across the whole middle half of depths (420 to 500 feet) the range runs from $13,000 to $36,500. This is TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas prices, not a quote, and it leaves out trenching and the line to the house. Get prices from at least two licensed drillers.

Where it sits

Nearby places

Median depth of home wells in each place.

All Texas cities and towns

Common questions

How deep do you have to drill a well in Ponder, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Ponder, Texas are typically 420 to 500 feet deep (median 460 ft, 135 wells drilled in the last 10 years). One in ten goes past 530 feet. The depth a given tract needs depends on where it sits and what layers the driller hits.

What aquifer or formation do wells in Ponder draw from?

Nearly all draw from the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 99%), according to the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (TWDB). This is an estimate from the state's regional model, not a survey of the lot.

How much does a water well cost in Ponder?

At the median depth (460 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $14,000 to $34,000, by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas driller prices. The real price comes from a licensed driller's quote.

How deep is the water in Ponder?

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 296 feet below the surface (56 wells). The level moves with drought and from one well to the next.

Do I need a permit to drill a well in Ponder?

Ponder is inside the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District. Groundwater conservation districts in Texas can require registering or permitting a new well, keeping set distances from property lines and other wells, and paying fees. Rules differ from district to district: ask the district before drilling.

How these numbers are made

We count new and replacement domestic (home) wells whose coordinates fall inside the place boundary or within 2 miles of it. We use the last 10 years when there are at least 30 wells; otherwise all since 2001. The median is the middle well and the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

To tell which layer a well draws from, we take the ground elevation at its location, subtract the depth of the interval where water enters (or the bottom of the hole when the report does not give one) and see which layer of the state's model that point falls in.

For 98% of these wells the report says where the water enters (the screen or the open hole), and we use the middle of that interval.

How well it works: In 7,977 wells in the area of the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (North and Central Texas) where the State of Texas recorded the aquifer, our estimate of the formation the well draws from names the same layer of the state's model in about 74% of them, and that layer or the one next to it in at least 95%; among the 3,130 of those wells that the state places in a Trinity layer (Paluxy to Hosston) it is about 56%.

  • The layers come from the Texas Water Development Board's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model, with quarter mile cells, summarized here to about 1.3 miles. It is a regional model, not a survey of any lot: between one model point and the next, the real depth of each layer can differ.
  • In this model every layer is at least 30 feet thick, even where the real rock is thinner or missing. Thin layers and the edges of the model are approximate.
  • Inside the Trinity this atlas does not name single model layers: it groups the Paluxy and Glen Rose (upper Trinity) and groups the Hensell, Pearsall and Hosston (lower Trinity, Twin Mountains and Travis Peak), because the check against the state's codes shows the method cannot separate them reliably.
  • "Near or below the base of the Trinity" means the well reaches the bottom of the model or passes it, often by tens of feet. Older rock that the model does not include may lie there.
  • We never use the model's water levels. The water level on this page is the one each driller measured when the well was finished.

These are depths of real wells drilled nearby, not a promise about any property. Groundwater can change over short distances and with drought. A licensed water well driller can tell you what to expect on a specific tract.

Read the full methodology · Download the data (CSV, CC BY 4.0)

How to cite

TerraFunded (2026). Texas Well Atlas: Underground. From Texas Water Development Board driller reports and groundwater availability models (data as of November 10, 2026). https://terrafunded.com/wells/places/ponder-tx. License CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24126380.

Sources