Published agency index · Reviewed
Inside California’s public well records
DWR's statewide OSWCR index includes well-completion reports and construction/yield fields. DWR notes that missing, duplicate or incorrect values can occur and many mapped locations are PLSS section-center approximations; verify the original report.
These are retrieved public records, shown so you can see the identifiers, available values and gaps before running your own lookup. They are regional examples, not a statewide sample or a prediction for a property.
| Public record ID | Published locality | Published use / type | Status / location quality | Recorded depth | Reported rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WCR1989-001920 ↗ | Sacramento | Monitoring | Status not reportedOther | 32 ft | Not reported |
| WCR1989-005790 ↗ | Sacramento | Monitoring | Status not reportedUnknown | 20 ft | Not reported |
| WCR1990-006832 ↗ | Sacramento | Other | Status not reportedOther | Not reported | Not reported |
Depths are converted from the lookup’s normalized meters to feet. Reported rate can represent yield, a pump-test rate or pump capacity depending on the source; these values are historical and are not interchangeable. A source zero can be a placeholder or a reported result: verify its meaning in the original file. “Not reported” means no comparable value was retained, not zero and not proof that the original file lacks all information.
No comparable reported rate is available in these examples; a supply estimate cannot be calculated from them.
How to verify a California record
Use the WCR number to open the original completion report. Check whether the map location is a section-center approximation, and confirm the unit attached to any yield value.
Open California Well Completion Reports (OSWCR) ↗ and search for the identifiers above. Compare the original filing, location method and well type with seller documents and a physical well identifier.
Review method: up to three distinct public identifiers selected in returned distance order from an existing regional lookup, without selecting for an attractive depth or yield. Re-run the example lookup ↗ · How these reviews are prepared
California Well Completion Reports (OSWCR)
California Department of Water Resources
DWR's statewide OSWCR index includes well-completion reports and construction/yield fields. DWR notes that missing, duplicate or incorrect values can occur and many mapped locations are PLSS section-center approximations; verify the original report.
What you can find in California well records
Available fields vary by individual filing, but the California integration can surface:
- WCR number
- record type
- planned use
- completed depth
- static water level
- reported yield
- casing diameter
- perforated interval
- drilling method
- completion date
- location method and accuracy
- report link
How to search the California well map and read a well log
- Enter the full property address above to locate the property and open nearby mapped records.
- Compare record identifiers, well type, completion date and distance before deciding which wells are relevant.
- Open the public source below to trace an original well log or completion report where the agency publishes one. A mapped summary may omit details from that document.
- Verify the actual property well with the seller, record identifiers and an on-site inspection; nearby records alone cannot identify it.
How to use the record before buying a property
California's OSWCR is valuable because it exposes a large statewide well-completion index with construction and test fields, while its own location-method metadata makes the uncertainty explicit.
Start with the address search, compare the closest records and their distances, then open the public source before treating a record as the subject property's well. If water quality or current performance matters, use current testing and an on-site well inspection.
California coverage limitation
California DWR states that the OSWCR index can contain missing or duplicate records and incorrect values. The majority of mapped records are spatially registered to the center of a 1×1-mile PLSS section rather than an exact wellhead, so proximity must not be treated as parcel association.
Public California source
WellLookup is independent of California Department of Water Resources. The underlying public source is California Well Completion Reports (OSWCR). WellLookup adds address search, nearby-record comparison and property-focused reporting; it preserves the published source values.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Enter a street address and WellLookup will search nearby mapped records from the supported California source.
Not necessarily. Location precision varies, so verify identifiers, documents and the physical well before relying on the match.
The $29.99 USD property report organizes the available evidence, nearby comparisons, source limitations and follow-up questions into one PDF.
Related well research
Understand how mapped well records should be interpreted around a property.
Compare nearby recorded depths without treating neighboring wells as a prediction.
Connect records with inspection, testing and purchase due diligence.