research suggests that hydraulic fracturing wells have an adverse impact on agricultural productivity in the vicinity of the wells. one paper found "that productivity of an irrigated crop decreases by 5.7% when a well is drilled during the agriculturally active months within 11–20 km radius of a producing township. this effect becomes smaller and weaker as the distance between township and wells increases." the findings imply that the introduction of hydraulic fracturing wells to alberta cost the province $14.8 million in 2014 due to the decline in the crop productivity,