The Labor Day holiday saw little boat activity on the lake and only a few people playing in the water on the newly-exposed beaches lining the lake shore. Cedar Creek Lake has dropped more than six feet, and it is expected to get worse. It rained briefly in some lake areas on Labor Day, but not enough to impact the lake level or moisten the baked soil. The clouds kept the temperature comfortable in the 80s, but the sun and sweltering heat returned the following day. The seven-day forecast for the lake area indicates highs in the 90s during the day and lows in the 70s at night, according to the National Weather Service. Texas is in the second-worst drought since the late 1800s, according to the agency. Only the drought in the 1950s surpassed what Texans statewide are battling. The Texas Water Department Board, Texas Parks and Wildlife and The Texas Department of Agriculture are soliciting photos to document the devastating drought. They should be emailed with a brief description, date and location to [email protected]. Drought declarations are now in place in 1000 counties nationwide, and Texas counties numbering 200 amount to 20 percent of the national total. Nearly all of North and Central Texas are stricken by drought, and water reservoirs are declining. Water usage and evaporation are expected to remain high for the next several weeks, which will further dwindle water supplies, according to the Aug. 15 report by the national agency. Average rainfall for the past 16 months across the region is short 25 percent to 33 percent, according to the report. Heavy rains seen in the region in July had little impact on the drought in the Cedar Creek Lake area. Cedar Creek Lake was built as a water reservoir for Tarrant County residents and businesses, and water will always be taken for their use no matter how low the lake gets. The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting heavy Autumn rains in North and Central Texas based on current weather models, but the "extensive drought would still be difficult to fully erase," according to the weather experts. The danger of wildfire will remain high in drought-stricken areas until the drought subsides. Large fires occurred in Dallas, Tarrant and Hunt Counties in August. Most counties have burn bans in place, including Henderson and Kaufman Counties.