The Dawson Aquifer, an unconfined aquifer, is a significant hydrologic feature atop three other major aquifers in the Denver Basin, interbedded between 3 confining units. Covering a surface area of approximately 1400 square miles, it is the closest to the surface. The thickness of this aquifer ranges between 400 and 1200 feet, with a maximum depth of around 600 feet. Its composition includes conglomerates, coarse-grained sandstones, and small amounts of clay and clay shale between those deposits. (Douglas County, 2025) Despite its shallow nature, the Dawson Aquifer allows for higher pumping rates and is commonly tapped into for domestic wells, with the potential to yield up to 200 gallons a minute. (Paschke, 2011)