Land near Seminole.

Seminole and Gaines County land well due diligence: Llano Estacado UWCD registration and permits, City private-well limits, jurisdiction and TWDB record checks

Before planning a well for land near Seminole, first pin down the legal parcel and its jurisdiction. The City of Seminole has a private-well ordinance for land inside City limits, while Llano Estacado Underground Water Conservation District (LEUWCD) has separate registration and permit rules for wells within its district. A Gaines County mailing address, tract acreage or map marker does not decide which rules apply. Check the recorded legal description and survey, then ask the City and LEUWCD for written requirements for the proposed location and use.

LEUWCD Rule 5.1 says new wells within the District generally must be registered before drilling. The District reviews the registration to make a preliminary exemption or exclusion determination. If a well is not exempt or excluded from permitting, the owner, operator or driller must follow the District’s temporary drilling permit process. Rule 5.2 lists categories such as certain wells capable of producing no more than 25,000 gallons per day, qualifying household wells and livestock wells. A category label alone is not an approval: use, design and other rule conditions matter, so ask the District to classify the proposed well under the current rules.

Inside the City of Seminole, the published code generally bars drilling a private well to serve a residence, business or industry, subject to a stated water-service-distance exception and a City permit. The current code page notes a 2025 amendment. The application details include well location and construction, nearby septic/sewer facilities and other features, driller information and an engineer recommendation. Confirm the City-limit status and current application before budgeting a well; do not carry this city rule over to every tract in Gaines County.

Search both state and local records. TWDB’s statewide groundwater database is not a complete well inventory, and the agency warns that submitted driller-report locations may be inaccurate. Older well reports can be in a different state system than newer filings. A missing map point is not proof that a tract has no well, and a plotted point does not verify a well’s exact location, working condition, water quality or dependable yield. Ask LEUWCD for applicable local records, match reports to the legal description and owner history, and arrange current inspection and testing for the intended use.

Gaines CAD provides property search and maps, but it says appraisal acreage and legal-description fields should be checked before legal use. Use CAD as a research starting point, then compare the deed, survey and recorded plat. The Land Readiness Passport can organize the site plan, City/district responses, registrations or permits, reports, inspections and test results; it does not determine water availability or well approval.

Facts to help plan the next check

• Llano Estacado UWCD’s Rule 5.1 says most wells within the District must be registered before drilling; for wells determined not exempt or excluded from permitting, the owner, operator or driller must apply for a temporary drilling permit under the District’s process.
• The District’s Rule 5.2 lists permit exemptions and exclusions such as certain low-capacity wells, qualifying domestic wells serving no more than ten households, and livestock wells. The exact rule category depends on the planned use and facts; ask the District to classify the proposed well.
• A well that is exempt from a District drilling permit is not automatically free from registration: Rule 5.1 expressly describes registration for new wells exempted or excluded from permitting.
• The City of Seminole code generally prohibits drilling a private well to serve a residence, business or industry inside the City, subject to a listed exception when City or utility water is unavailable within 1,000 feet of the subject property line and a City permit is issued.
• The City’s private-well permit rule calls for a proposed well location and construction details, distance information for items such as septic and sewer facilities, buildings and flood areas, driller information, estimated construction cost and an engineer recommendation; check the current application with the City.
• The City code page identifies the private-well article as adopted in 2022 and amended by Ordinance 736 on July 14, 2025; use the current published text and confirm requirements with the City before relying on an older form or summary.
• Llano Estacado UWCD says its rules address well registration, spacing, permitting, completion, pumping limitations, open-well protection and plugging; the rules page cautions that its rules are guides for exercising the District’s authority.
• The Texas Water Development Board warns its Groundwater Database is not a complete inventory of Texas wells and that submitted driller-report locations have not been verified by State staff and may be inaccurate.
• TWDB describes different search paths for recent submitted driller reports and older well reports; it says well-report records may be located in different state systems depending on when they were filed.
• Gaines CAD provides online property search and interactive maps, but its site says appraisal acreage and legal descriptions are for appraisal use and should be verified before legal use or documents.
• The City of Seminole code contains separate chapters for subdivision regulations, utilities and zoning; a map pin or mailing address alone does not establish whether City rules, ETJ review or county/district processes apply to a specific tract.
• The District’s posted rules and City’s private-well ordinance are separate review paths: a buyer should identify whether the parcel is inside City limits, confirm the groundwater district boundary and well use, and obtain current written requirements from each authority that applies.

Parcel-specific next checks

1. Match the legal description, recorded plat, deed and survey before using a CAD map pin or street address to check a parcel.
2. Confirm whether the tract lies inside Seminole city limits, the City’s ETJ or unincorporated Gaines County; ask the City which current subdivision, zoning, utility and well rules apply to that exact location.
3. Use the TWDB/GCD district map and LEUWCD to verify the groundwater district boundary for the proposed well location; do not infer district jurisdiction solely from the city name or mailing address.
4. Write down the proposed well use, number of households or users, expected capacity, pump rate and location, then ask LEUWCD which current registration, exemption, permit and reporting category applies.
5. Before drilling within LEUWCD, obtain the current well-registration form and written district determination; if the well is not exempt or excluded, complete the applicable temporary drilling permit process before work begins.
6. If the tract is inside Seminole, contact the City before drilling: request its current private-well application, determine whether the water-service-distance exception applies, and confirm any City permit, inspection and separation requirements.
7. Ask the driller to map the proposed well relative to septic systems, sewer lines, buildings, flood areas, livestock facilities and other wells; compare the plan with the rules of each authority that applies.
8. Search TWDB and TDLR well-report sources using the owner history, driller, date, state well number or report tracking number; also ask the District for local records and account for older or missing reports.
9. Treat mapped wells as leads only. Verify well location, construction, condition, water level, sustainable capacity and water quality through source records, inspection and testing appropriate to the intended use.
10. Check Gaines CAD for account and appraisal history, then confirm ownership, recorded acreage, legal description, taxing units and any claimed agricultural appraisal with the proper public offices.
11. Save written determinations, current forms, registrations, permits, well reports, testing and site plans in the Land Readiness Passport; do not assume a nearby well or utility line proves service, water quality or a guaranteed yield.

Sources

• Llano Estacado UWCD — current district rules landing page and contact for Gaines County well registration and permits ↗
• Llano Estacado UWCD — Rule 5 registration, exempt/excluded permit categories and temporary drilling permit process; confirm current rules with the District ↗
• Llano Estacado UWCD — management-plan summary of well permitting, spacing, registration, production, completion and plugging rules; check current rule text ↗
• Llano Estacado UWCD — local groundwater/aquifer context; not a parcel-level yield or water-quality determination ↗
• Texas Water Development Board — statewide well database scope and limits, including incomplete inventory and unverified submitted-report locations ↗
• Texas Water Development Board — how to search state well reports, including older records and alternate search routes ↗
• Texas Water Development Board — official groundwater conservation district directory and links for checking the relevant district ↗
• Gaines County Appraisal District — property search, map and appraisal records; appraisal acreage/legal descriptions require independent verification ↗
• Texas Comptroller — Gaines County appraisal and tax office directory and taxing-unit information ↗
• City of Seminole Code Enforcement — municipal permit and inspection contact/portal ↗
• City of Seminole, Texas Code of Ordinances — private well rule, current article noting 2025 amendment and city-limit permitting conditions ↗
• City of Seminole, Texas Code of Ordinances — official code index including subdivision, utilities and zoning chapters; check parcel jurisdiction and current text ↗

Research checked 2026-11-08. Confirm current details for the exact parcel.

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