And who's to say that the water you sold went to one well, or even if it was combined with other water for one well? Only "big oil" knows for sure and if you go by history they have not been the most forthcoming, just watch a few minutes of the documentary "Gasland".

I will say this. With the current price of oil, fracking is about to be cut way back in the states.

Not to but either way you look at it, fracking uses a heck of a lot of water, and certainly can't help with lake levels.

well we can stop buying :gasoline powered cars and outboards, plastics which comes from crude oil like plastic bottles for water, plastic containers, plastic bags....

we can light everything with candles at home and cook everything with firewood to save gas.

the humanity depends on crude oil and gas. crude oil has more priority than the lakes we fish.

Or we could look for alternatives to petroleum based energy, after all it is a finite resource that will eventually run out. Diminishing supplies is already giving us fracking and oil sands refining both of which are argueably nastier than the current recovery of crude oil.

Not to mention our reliance on "unfriendly" nations to feed our crude oil habits.

I don't know enough about fracking to have an informed opinion. But I do know gas was $1.96 at Sams' this morning. Whether it's good or bad how the price got there, everyone decide for themselves.

I also know this: on the 21 acres our local gun club owns, there's a small drainage that starts on the 100 acres to the west. Not a creek, just drainage. During the late 80s thru the early 2000s, this drainage had water trickling almost non stop except for about 4 summers in July/August. It was so wet we could not mow the area with the tractor or even a riding mower. Our road runs across the drainage with two 24" culverts under the road. Road washed out 3 times in the 90s. finally installed a low water crossing.

In the last 7 years, this same area has been bone dry year around except for about 2 months. No problem mowing with the shredder. To my knowledge, this is due to precipitation levels below normal for the past 7 years. I've only seen one other time this dry from 1950-57. I saw live oak and cedar trees dying then as I've seen in the past 3 years. There was no fracking and global warming in the 50s. Just plain lack of rainfall. Since the 50s, population and water usage has grown exponentially.

Why there has been no investment in water recycling in the past 10-30 yrs is astounding. The technology has been there for 40 years. For the cost of all the pipelines back to the Metromess, there surely could have been efforts to recycle the water. Current technology can process waste water to come out more pure than tap water.

Very valid points. I was not trying to imply that the low lake levels are solely attributed to fracking. I was just trying to say that they don't help and with the reliance of lobbyists to push the desires of big business, over the interest of the common citizens, the environment will continue to get worse before it gets better.

Buton, that's a slight over reaction to someone wondering why the lakes are low. This world could not function without energy. The vast majority of our energy comes from fossil fuels. The fracking has become commonplace only recently. There is no doubt it uses some water. I guess it's debatable how much. I think some folks are debating how much of the low lake levels may be attributed to fracking is a valid question. The main point is that water is becoming more scarce in Texas. Everybody that uses it wants to use it for different reasons. Some folks are going to conserve. Others will not, unless it's mandated. I said unfortunately earlier, because I hate to see it come to that, but it's obvious to me that will be one of the key ways to have enough. I am a pro fac kind of guy. But, I have two points. One I made earlier. The cracking will become less common in the states because it is simply more expensive to get it out of the ground here than in other parts of the world. Simple economics. Second point is that if things don't improve water wise here, then water use for fracking will start to be scrutinized more, just like lawn watering, etc. I want the drilling to take place here. With oil dropping, I kind of fear that it will drop substantially due to economics.

I have just been on Cedar Creek for a couple of years - i just want to put in my two cents on the water levels - has nothing to do with rainfall - see Lake Athens or any surrounding cattle tank - also - notice how the water level actually goes down after rain, they suck out the water literally in anticipation of it being replenished to its low levels - and finally, the "current" that is out of control at times when fishing - it is a resorvoir - the only current is obviously man made - ie, the TC water authority sucking it out as fast as they can - there should be no current since there is only one place for the water to go, the spillway (and ever notice that the exit creek outside of the spillway never goes down??) - are they selling water to oil companies for fracking - what do you think...all i know is where the water isn't staying.

i am an attorney and my frustration has been everyone's willingness to complain, but do nothing. i am not a landowner, so i don't have standing. Whole situation stinks, but someone needs to demand answers.

I am in the business, and first need to point out that only the ignorant media spell it fracking ..... fracing does not have a K in it!

Second, yes we use a lot of water ... so much that it is measured in barrels and there are 42 gallons to the barrel.

I don't think fracing is the cause of the drought or the low lake levels.

I don't think anyone thought it caused a drought.

Well actually.... I thought that fracking/fracing was the answer to John Fogerty's/CCR's seemingly rhetorical question "Who'll stop the rain".

just to put an end to the debate as to how to spell the short version of hydraulic fracturing:

http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/fracking-fracing-or-fraccing

peace.

interesting information in here for sure .....
but to be sure when November rainfall amounts are 25 % or so less than the average
and this has been pretty much the scenario year round for a while
we will continue to see lower lake levels
we should be very glad Tarrant Regional owns lots of east texas water
or the dfw area would be suffering considerably more than currently

interesting.