The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District said in a press release that it will no longer permit new contracts for water to be removed from any of its reservoirs, including those in Carroll, Tuscarawas, Harrison and Belmont counties. The agency said it is waiting for the results of a U.S. Geological Survey study to find out the risks involved with permitting the water to be used for fracking.

"We think it's a prudent step at this point to kind of step back, slow down the process, and look at the concerns and make sure we understand those and make sure we can respond to them with complete and accurate information," said Darrin Lautenschleger, public affairs coordinator for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.

The announcement won't just affect fracking companies, but local residents as well. The village of Cadiz had planned to purchase water from the watershed,then sell that water to fracking companies at a higher price. That revenue would have then been used for infrastructure within Cadiz for groundwater and wastewater management.

"This decision has set back economic development activity in the region and delayed the improvement of water quality in that region," said Cadiz Economic Coordinator Rich Milleson.

That plan will have to wait until the results of the study are in, and then, the watershed's board will decide to whom to sell water.