Reduced Monitoring of Nation's Rivers a Concern

Stream scientists and public officials are worried that a decrease in federal funding for stream monitoring nationwide may lead to decreased warnings and response time in case of a flood. 

Some 7,400 stream gauges measure the level and flow of water in our nation's streams. The network of gauges, including temporary devices that can be installed at a spot that becomes worrisome, can help warn that a flood is on the way so people can move to higher ground. Without gauges, however, there are no data, and emergency officials can't meet their river forecast and warning mission. For example, In 1994, federal budget cuts led to the loss of a gauge on the Licking River at McKinneysburg, KY. Three years later, a flash flood on the Licking River inundated the town of Falmouth, six miles northwest, and killed four people. The furor over the incident led to more gauges and increased federal financing. But in the past few years, budget pressures have built up once more and the stream gauge is being questioned. River flooding kills about 125 people each year and costs billions of dollars in property damage, more deaths per year than are attributed to tornadoes or hurricanes. http://www.ecoearth.info/articles/reader.asp?linkid=55068

NY Times, 4/11/2006