River Network urges funding for USGS's national streamgage program

For several years, River Network has supported efforts to defend the USGS water science programs against the continuing loss of 100-200 streamgages per year. Last December, River Network joined 55 national and statewide organizations and 39 officials from 27 states in urging Congress and the Interior Department to provide full funding for these USGS water data and interpretive science capabilities, because all watershed planning, project design and implementation efforts require reliable information.

Congress asked the USGS to design a national streamgage program to assure that America will have the science needed to adapt to long-term changes, protect water quality, forecast flood events and resolve water supply conflicts. The National Academy of Science reviewed that plan and Congress directed that it be fully implemented by 2019. Unfortunately, this “National Streamflow Information Program” is still getting only 25% of the annual funding it needs, and the President proposed cutting that budget next year. At the same time, USGS has had to discontinue almost 1000 streamgages since 2001, and the cost-share by state and local agencies has increased every year.

The Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP) has been organizing stakeholders around this cause for 5 years, and we are encouraged by the prospects for a more effective partnership with River Network. There is quite a bit of background and contact information on the www.icwp.org website. If you are depending on USGS water data and interpretive science and have good examples of the benefits that science has produced, WE WANT YOU!!