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How deep are water wells in Rio Vista, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Rio Vista, Texas are typically 485 to 580 feet deep (median 520 ft, 31 wells reported since 2001). Nearly all are completed in the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 87%), according to the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (TWDB). Estimated cost of a complete well at the median depth: $15,500 to $37,500.

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 pointJohnson County
What is under Rio Vista, TexasUnderground column at the center of Rio Vista: median well 520 ft, middle half 485 to 580 ft, water at 410 ft, and the layers of the state's model with their thickness.Washita and Fredericksburg: 0 to 392 ftWashita and Frederick…Upper Trinity: 392 to 900 ftUpper Trinitycontinues to 1,185 ft0200400600800ftGround level · 720 ft above sea levelMedian well: 520 ftWater standing in the well from 410 ftWater level410 ftMiddle half485–580 ftMedian well520 ft

Under Rio Vista, Johnson County

Layers at the center of Rio Vista 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 31 real wells.

Home wells in and around Rio Vista

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: Rio Vista and about 2 miles around it

Key figures

Typical depth (middle half)
485 to 580 feet
Median depth
520 feet
Deepest 10% are past
745 feet
Water level (median)
410 feet
30 wells
Yield (median)
12 gpm
28 wells, gallons per minute
Wells used
31
Since 2001
Inside the city limits
4
the rest within 2 miles
All years on file
31
median 520 ft, since 2005
Confidence
Standard (30 or more wells)

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 410 feet below the surface (30 wells), close to the bottom: the typical well holds only about 110 feet of water.

What is under Rio Vista, TexasUnderground column at the center of Rio Vista: median well 520 ft, middle half 485 to 580 ft, water at 410 ft, and the layers of the state's model with their thickness.Washita and Fredericksburg: 0 to 392 ftWashita and Frederick…Upper Trinity: 392 to 900 ftUpper Trinitycontinues to 1,185 ft0200400600800ftGround level · 720 ft above sea levelMedian well: 520 ftWater standing in the well from 410 ftWater level410 ftMiddle half485–580 ftMedian well520 ft
Layers at the center of Rio Vista 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 31 real wells.

Which formation do wells in Rio Vista draw from?

Nearly all are completed in the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 87%), according to the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (TWDB).

Layer (state's model)ShareWellsTypical depth (ft)
Upper TrinityPaluxy and Glen Rose87%27490–580
Washita and Fredericksburg7%2—
Lower TrinityTwin Mountains and Travis Peak3%1—
Near or below the base of the Trinity3%1—

Only 55% of these wells have the water-bearing interval on their report (reports before about 2012 rarely do). For the others we use the bottom of the hole, which tends to read one layer deeper than where the water actually comes from.

The layers under the center of Rio Vista

From the state's model, at 720 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 clay0392392
Upper Trinitysandstone, limestone and marl392900508
Lower Trinitysandstone with shale and limestone9001,185285

Depth over time

Too few wells per period in and around Rio Vista to compare depth over time. Since 2005, 31 home wells have been reported, with a median of 520 feet.

PeriodMedian depth (ft)Wells
2001–2005under 10 wells8
2006–2010under 10 wells5
2011–2015under 10 wells1
2016–2020under 10 wells8
2021–2025under 10 wells9

What a well costs in Rio Vista

At the median depth for Rio Vista (520 feet), a complete home well would cost roughly $15,500 to $37,500: $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 (485 to 580 feet) the range runs from $14,500 to $41,500. 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 Rio Vista, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Rio Vista, Texas are typically 485 to 580 feet deep (median 520 ft, 31 wells reported since 2001). One in ten goes past 745 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 Rio Vista draw from?

Nearly all are completed in the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 87%), 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 Rio Vista?

At the median depth (520 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $15,500 to $37,500, 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 Rio Vista?

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 410 feet below the surface (30 wells), close to the bottom: the typical well holds only about 110 feet of water. The level moves with drought and from one well to the next.

Do I need a permit to drill a well in Rio Vista?

Rio Vista is inside the Prairielands 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.

Only 55% of these wells have the water-bearing interval on their report (reports before about 2012 rarely do). For the others we use the bottom of the hole, which tends to read one layer deeper than where the water actually comes from.

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/rio-vista-tx. License CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24126380.

Sources