GUN BARREL CITY -- What everybody living and working near Cedar Creek Lake most wants to know can't be answered at this time. That's the message that Buckley Butler, reservoir manager for Tarrant Regional Water District, gave to the Henderson County Board of Realtors this week. Everybody wants to know when the lake will be full again, he said. "We can pick up a lot of water in a hurry, but we need a lot more rain," Butler said during his presentation at the group's quarterly meeting."All you can hope is for a tropical storm to build up in the south and come into the area." Butler said that even though the area has seen welcome rain in recent weeks that have filled stock tanks and golf course ponds,the outlook is still dismal for the summer. Cedar Creek Lake remains about 7.5 feet low, and Richland Chambers Lake is still about 8.5 feet low, he said. "We very likely will go into the summer several feet low," Butler said. "It is is what it is. There's nothing we can do about it." Butler said many lake residents apparently have misconceptions about the water district's practices and abilities, based on complaints received this year. The transport of water does not stop when the lake level drops dramatically as it has this year, he said. "As far as stopping pumping, that's not going to happen," Butler said. "And we can't make it rain. We haven't been given that authority." Butler said the low lake level has created new headaches for the water district because of the large areas of sand beaches. Some people resort to driving motorized vehicles in the lake bed, and others search for antiquities such as arrowheads in an effort to entertain themselves, he said. "We get a lot of complaints about that," Butler said. "It's actually not allowed." Both activities are prohibited by Texas law, Butler said. Butler took questions about lake issues related to the drought, and the audience learned that: *The water district did not lower the lake to build the new Highway 198 bridge. *There is no crossover pumping being done to fill up other reservoirs. *Dock lights must continue to be left on at night, even though there is no water under the docks. *The use of misting herbicide and pesticide systems are not allowed, and no such products can be used in the dry lake bed. *Stumps and other trees may not be removed from the lake bed unless they are immediately adjacent to the property owners' docks. The vegetation is necessary for the habitat of fish and other wildlife. *Watering restrictions under Stage 1 are in place and have been mailed out to the water district's recently-created database of residents. *The use of patio chairs and tables in the lake bed is allowed while the water level is low and beaches are exposed. *Mowing in the dry lake bed is allowed by residents, but the water district will not do it for them. *Burning of brush and leaves is allowed when the counties do not have burn bans in place. *Hunting is allowed from boats on the lake but not on shore because the land belongs to private property owners. For information on other matters call 903-432-2814. Visit CedarCreekLake.com to view the latest Cedar Creek Lake water level. Pictured below is Buckley Butler.