http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

v 2.4.3.0

Domestic wells have continued to run dry in Butte County, but county officials do not know how many people were having problems with their wells. Because it is expensive to have water trucked to homes, county officials would like to offer more sites where water can be purchased. Potable water is available for purchase in Oroville from South Feather Water and Power Agency and from Durham Mutual Water Company. The general manager of South Feather said that about two-thirds of the 100 loads of water purchased in May were for construction. In June, just one-third of the roughly 100 loads of water purchased were for construction, suggesting that the difference might be for residential delivery. The Butte County emergency service officer estimated that there were about 60 properties with dry wells, including Forest Ranch, Cohasset, Butte Valley, Mesilla Valley, Bangor and Durham. Chico Enterprise Record (Calif.), July 19, 2015 Water levels in Butte County have dropped, keeping well drillers busy. The owner of a pump repair business said that he has been getting a dozen calls per day about wells with many of those near irrigated orchards, presumably where water demand is higher. In his experience, groundwater was low near Durham, Orland and Capay, and in some places, the water level has fallen 10 feet and not come back up. He worries that if the drought continues and water levels continue to fall, that it will adversely affect his business when there is no longer water to pump. A well driller in Chico has been busy working on wells on Garner Lane, Kathy Lane and Stable Lane where the depth of the wells ranged from 65 to 80 feet deep. In the Cohasset and Forest Ranch areas, there is trouble with wells, particularly those more than 15 years old. In parts of Cohasset, the water is 700 to 800 feet below ground. The well driller noted that the entire town of Nord must drill deeper to reach water at a cost of roughly $8,000 per well. Wells were also running dry near Chico River Road, Henshaw Avenue, Pleasant Valley High School and Five Mile Recreation Area. Chico Enterprise Record (Calif.), July 17, 2014