Several USGS Gages on the Chopping Block
The USGS announced today that a number of their streamgages are threatened by loss of funding. The gages, located in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland are scheduled to be turned off on the last day of September of this year unless cost-share funding can be found.
Stream gages are obviously vital to supporting public recreational use of rivers. They are also vital scientific tools that allow us to track short and long term environmental changes. The gages slated for removal have been collecting data since as far back as 1890. It is troubling to see support for such important scientific data collection abandoned. Paddlers are encouraged to look over the list of threatened gages and contact the appropriate Governor, Tourism Department, and other political leaders in response to this proposal. AW has a stewardship toolkit page dedicated to saving stream gages that you may benefit from reading.
You can check out the list of threatened gages at:
Of particular concern to AW is the proposed elimination of the Harrisburg gage on Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River. This gage is used by paddlers to determine boating flows, is referenced in dam license agreements, and has been in operation for over 100 years.