Texas
Buying Land in Castro County, Texas
Castro County, seat Dimmitt, is High Plains irrigated farm country built on the Ogallala Aquifer -- and one of the country's biggest dairy-producing counties. Both facts carry real, checkable regulatory weight: a long-established groundwater district covering part of the county with specific pumping rules, and a real chance that land here sits near a permitted dairy CAFO.
Water: a mature district managing a declining aquifer
Unlike most rural Texas counties, groundwater use in the covered part of Castro County is governed by a long-established, detailed regulatory body: the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1, formed decades ago specifically to manage Ogallala Aquifer depletion across a 16-county service area (covering Castro only partially) where roughly 95% of pumped groundwater goes to irrigated agriculture. See the dedicated well-water page for HPWD's specific permitting thresholds, production limits, the county's own measured aquifer decline, and how to confirm whether a specific parcel falls inside the district's boundary -- numbers that matter directly to the value and long-term irrigation capacity of farmland here.
Dairy country: real production, real regulation, real history
Castro County's flat, irrigated High Plains land supports one of the country's most concentrated dairy industries -- second in the nation by production volume, according to USDA figures cited by local reporting. That scale means numerous TCEQ-permitted Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) operate in the county, each carrying its own waste-management and land-application rules. It also means Castro County was the site of the deadliest known dairy-barn disaster in US history: an explosion at the South Fork Dairy near Dimmitt on April 10, 2023, killed approximately 18,000 cattle. See the dedicated livestock-feedlots page for what CAFO regulation and proximity actually mean for a specific parcel here, whether the goal is running a dairy operation or simply buying land near one.
Septic permitting: confirm directly with the county
This research could not confirm whether Castro County has TCEQ authorized-agent status for OSSF (septic) permitting or routes applications through a TCEQ regional office instead. Ask the Castro County Commissioners Court directly which office reviews the site evaluation and issues the permit before budgeting for a system.
No zoning, and few other county-level land controls
Castro County is not among the named Local Government Code Chapter 231 exceptions, so the general Texas rule applies here without modification: the Commissioners Court has no zoning authority over unincorporated land. That means the two real regulatory layers a buyer needs to understand in Castro County are the ones covered in depth on the standalone pages below -- HPWD's groundwater rules for anything involving irrigation or a private well, and TCEQ's CAFO framework for anything involving or located near the county's substantial dairy industry. Subdivision platting and road standards still apply to a land division under the state's general authority described on the Texas hub, and any deed restrictions on a specific platted tract remain enforceable regardless of the absence of zoning.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Castro County
Castro County has no general zoning authority and is not among the named Chapter 231 exceptions, so there is no planning_zoning entry above. This research could not confirm whether Castro County holds TCEQ OSSF authorized-agent status; confirm septic-permitting authority directly with the Commissioners Court or TCEQ. We could not confirm a direct phone number for the Castro County Commissioners Court beyond its website.
Wells / Private Water
High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (HPWD)
Well drilling and production permits, spacing rules, and current Ogallala Aquifer monitoring data for a specific parcel.
Environmental Health
TCEQ Wastewater Permitting -- CAFO Program
Confirming whether a specific dairy or feedlot CAFO permit is active near a parcel, and current waste-application setback rules.
Subdivision & Land Development
Castro County Commissioners Court
Subdivision plat approval, road standards, septic-permitting authority, and general land-use questions for unincorporated Castro County.
Assessor / Property Tax
Castro County Appraisal District
Assessed property values, agricultural (ag) valuation applications, and parcel search.
Recorder / Clerk / Land Records
Castro County Clerk
Recorded deeds, plats, and easement history for a specific parcel.
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Get local guidanceTopics Specific to Castro County
Sources
- High Plains Underground Water Conservation District #1 — Home — High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (accessed 2026-09)
- Well Permitting — High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (accessed 2026-09)
- Castro County: History, Geography, and Agriculture — Texas State Historical Association (accessed 2026-09)
- Castro County in Top 10 for Texas dairy cows — The Castro County News (accessed 2026-09)
- 2023 Texas dairy farm explosion — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO): Is My Operation A CAFO? — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (accessed 2026-09)
- Castro County Appraisal District — Castro County Appraisal District (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09