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Well Contractors in Shoshone, California
We connect property owners in Shoshone with independent well contractors who serve southeast Inyo County.
Shoshone is a tiny historic town at the southern gateway to Death Valley National Park. Nevada State Route 372 runs from Pahrump to the California line, where it continues as State Route 178 to Shoshone, so contractors from the Pahrump side often serve both, provided they hold the right California license.
Call (775) 208-0842Pahrump Well Drilling operates this website and connects local customers with independent local well drilling contractors. We don't do the work ourselves and we don't check any contractor's qualifications, so confirming that is up to you before you hire.
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About the area
Shoshone's Railroad-Era Roots
Shoshone was founded in 1910 by Ralph Jacobus "Dad" Fairbanks, a Death Valley businessman and veteran of the Greenwater copper rush. Many early buildings were moved over from Greenwater. A post office opened in 1915.
Fairbanks's daughter Estelle and her husband Charles Brown, a former Greenwater sheriff and later a state senator, managed the town after Fairbanks left. Shoshone was a stop on the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad, which shut down in 1940.
Today Shoshone counts only 22 residents (2020), but its post office, gas station, restaurant and airstrip serve travelers heading into Death Valley.
The town's small size is part of its character. With so few full-time residents, many properties are businesses, seasonal homes or long-held family parcels, and each one depends on its own water system working when travelers arrive.
Water
A Rare Year-Round Stretch of River
The Amargosa River is about 185 miles long and runs mostly underground. One exception is the stretch through the Shoshone and Tecopa area, where it surfaces. That surfacing groundwater supports the area's green patches in an otherwise very dry desert.
Even so, homes and businesses here rely on wells. Groundwater in this region can carry naturally occurring minerals, and nearby Tecopa's wells contain arsenic and fluoride, so a water test is a smart first step for any Shoshone well.
At about 1,585 feet, Shoshone is much lower and hotter than Pahrump, which puts extra demand on pumps in summer.
That flowing river doesn't mean shallow, easy wells everywhere. Groundwater depth and quality can change quickly away from the riverbed, so a contractor will want to know exactly where on the property you're planning a well.
Shoshone on the Map
The independent local well drilling contractors this site connects you with work across Shoshone and the surrounding area.
California rules
Permits and Licensing in Shoshone
Shoshone falls under Inyo County Environmental Health, not Nevada's NDWR. A county permit is required for a new well, for repairs or modifications to an existing well's casing, and for destroying an abandoned well. Permits are issued to appropriately licensed California contractors.
The application includes a plot plan and is reviewed by county staff, and the owner signs an indemnification document before the permit is issued. Plan for that review time when scheduling.
You can check a contractor's California license through the Contractors State License Board. That check is your responsibility, and we encourage it before any work begins.
California also has statewide water well construction standards, which Inyo County links to from its well program page. The contractor you're connected with should be familiar with them, and it's fair to ask how they apply to your job.
Common jobs
Well Work for Shoshone Properties
Typical calls include pump repair and replacement, pressure tank problems, and testing. Businesses serving travelers may need larger systems and storage, covered on our commercial wells page.
With so few residents and long drives in every direction, it pays to describe the problem in detail when you call. That helps the contractor bring the right parts.
Ask up front about travel charges and California licensing. Summer is the hardest season on equipment in a place this low and hot, so a spring check of the pump, pressure switch and tank can head off a midsummer outage. If water quality has been an issue, pair that visit with a test of both raw and treated water. And keep a written record of each service call, so the next contractor knows what's been done.
Before Well Work in Shoshone
Quick checks that keep a project on track.
- Verify the contractor's California license with the CSLB yourself.
- Ask whether your job needs an Inyo County permit.
- Test raw water for arsenic, fluoride and minerals.
- Size pumps and tanks for summer demand.
- Keep records of well depth and equipment.
Watch
See How a Water Well Is Drilled
A general overview that helps Shoshone property owners know what to expect before a contractor arrives.
Nearby
Shoshone's Place in the Amargosa Country
Shoshone's water story ties into the wider region.
Tecopa
Just to the south, Tecopa's wells carry naturally occurring arsenic and fluoride, and the town relies on a reverse-osmosis kiosk.
Death Valley
Shoshone is the southern gateway to the park, where springs at Furnace Creek draw partly on groundwater flowing from Ash Meadows.
Pahrump
Nevada State Route 372, which becomes California State Route 178 at the state line, links Shoshone to Pahrump.
Ask any contractor you're connected with whether they hold a California license before booking work in Shoshone.
Quick answer
Does Nevada Well Law Apply in Shoshone?
No. Shoshone is in Inyo County, California, so wells there follow California standards and Inyo County Environmental Health permits rather than Nevada's State Engineer rules. Nevada's 2 acre-foot domestic allowance and Pahrump's Order 1293A don't apply. Any contractor working on the well needs the appropriate California license, which you should confirm through the CSLB.
Services and Nearby Areas
Services available to Shoshone property owners:
Nearby communities we also cover:
Back to the Pahrump Well Drilling homepage for the full picture of Pahrump.
Shoshone FAQ
How do I get from Pahrump to Shoshone?
Take Nevada State Route 372 west from Pahrump. At the state line it becomes California State Route 178, which leads to Shoshone at its junction with State Route 127.
Is Shoshone well water high in minerals?
Groundwater in the area can carry naturally occurring minerals. A water test tells you what's in your well.
Can I get a Nevada contractor for my Shoshone well?
Only if they hold the appropriate California license. Confirm it before hiring.
Do you do the well work?
No. We operate this website and connect you with independent contractors who do.
Need Well Service in Shoshone?
Get in touch, and we'll connect you with a contractor who serves Inyo County.
Call (775) 208-0842We operate this website and connect local customers with local contractors. Pahrump Well Drilling doesn't perform well drilling and well service work, doesn't supervise contractors, and doesn't check any contractor's insurance, licensing, or credentials, so confirm those yourself before hiring.
Disclaimer
How This Website Works
Disclaimer: Pahrump Well Drilling operates this website to connect local customers and businesses in Pahrump, NV and nearby communities with independent local well drilling contractors. We are not a well drilling contractor, we do not perform, supervise, or warrant any well drilling and well service work ourselves, and we do not check, verify, or confirm any contractor's license, insurance, credentials, or qualifications. Confirming those things is the customer's responsibility before hiring. Any price you're quoted comes from the contractor, not from us, and any agreement and the work itself are strictly between you and the contractor you choose. Calls placed through this site may be routed to an available local contractor. See the full disclaimer.