A study by the group Ceres has found that projected increases in the use of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," could put pressure on already stressed water resources in areas from Texas to western Colorado. A piece in The New York Times cites the study's author, Monika Freyman, who explains that although the overall amount of water used for fracking is relatively small, local effects can be extensive. “You have to look at a county-by-county scale to capture the intense and short-term impact on water supplies,” she said.