2014 OVERVIEW:National Streamgage

Network Designby USGS

USGS Streamgage Networkan effective combination

to achieve high quality science based on reliable measurements

and shared investment

guided to meet national priorities

USGS Streamgaging History• John Wesley Powell (USGS Director; 1881 – 1894)

directed USGS to begin monitoring streamflow in the American west

• First USGS gage installed 1889 to monitor the Rio Grande near Embudo, New Mexico

• By 1895, streamflow was being monitored by USGS in 27 states/territories

• Most stations in 1968 = 8,320 in operation• In 2012, USGS was operating 8,025 Streamgages

National Streamgage Network

• Cooperative Water ProgramCWP = 4,521 streamgages in 2012(+750 interpretive studies)

• National Streamflow Information Program NSIP = 3,504 streamgages in 2012

8,025 total USGS active streamgagesan effective combination

to achieve high quality sciencebased on reliable measurements

and shared investment

guided to meet national priorities

National Streamgage Network

Cooperative Water Program

CWP Mission: to provide reliable, impartial, and timely information needed to understand the Nation's water resources through a program of shared efforts and funding with state, tribal, and local partners to enable decision makers to wisely manage the Nation's water resources.

Cooperative Water Program• CWP = hydrologic data + investigative studies• Program started as a 50:50 cost-share

not authorized by Congress, except for specific direction in annual federal appropriations legislation

• Engages more than 1,500 cost-share “Cooperators”

• Active in every state & most territories• Guided to meet national priorities

Cooperative Water Program

• CWP = hydrologic data + investigative studies• Data collection by USGS maintaining high QA/QC

Accessible to all without chargeConsistent, Reliable & Available 24x7x365

• Data & studies are limited by funding, but Cooperators are paying 2x the USGS funds– Competitive selection applying national priorities– USGS scientists get direct involvement in latest challenges– Cooperators get impartial science expertise from a

national agency that has no regulatory function

National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP)

• Requested by Congress in 1998USGS design was reviewed by NAS/NRC in 2004NSIP was authorized by Congress in 2009

• Program concept is to establish a reliablenational “backbone” streamgage network to meet 5 specific, national needs andprovide benchmark for monitoring by others

• Design = Network of 4,759 streamgagesStrategic locations across America asFoundation for other streamgage networksReliable + Continuous Federal Funded

4,759 does not provide sufficient resolution to meet federalneeds and constrain uncertainty without CWP supplement to bring national streamgage network to more than 8,000

National Research Council Review• 2004 review of USGS design for NSIP• 2007 review of USGS River Science• 2009 review of USGS Water Program• New science and more data are needed

by federal, state, tribal, interstate and local officials to effectively manage watertowards sustainable ends

• American water community needs anational leader in water sciences

• Favorable review of USGS operations, science capabilities and NSIP design

National Streamflow Information Program

• Reliable national streamgage network to meet5 specific, national needs

• Design =network of 4,759 monitoring sitesreliable + continuous federal funded

Actual < 75% currently operating, and 87% of those 3,504 streamgages lack reliable funding (i.e., depend on CWP Cooperators & OFAs), which defeats

the intended reliability of NSIP• A fully implemented NSIP would require

$115 M to complete and $110 M/yr to operate

National Streamflow Information Program Implementation Status

National Streamgage NetworkTotal NSIP + CWP Streamgages

NSIP $28M 17%

CWP$28M 17%

OFA $27M 17%

State/Local $79M49%

USGS Streamgage Network Funding, FY 2013 $161.5M

National Streamgage Networkeffective combination to achieve

high quality science based on reliable measurements and

shared investmentguided to meet national priorities

Contact ICWP/Peter Evanswww.icwp.org

(703) 243-7383 or phe@riverswork.com

USGS Streamgage NetworkAn effective combination

to achieve high quality sciencebased on reliable measurements

and shared investment

guided to meet national priorities• Cooperative Water Program

without the cost-share investmentfederal government would not have adequate coverage

• National Streamflow Information Program without reliable funding for the set of “backbone” streamgagesfederal government loses long-term records needed toidentify trends and support interpretive science

8,025 total USGS active streamgages providing the benchmark needed by USGS and other agencies

Stakeholder Support Coalition

• Organized by ICWP with help from:– Western States Water Council– Association of State Floodplain Managers– American Society of Civil Engineers– National Water Resources Association– American Rivers– National Wildlife Federation

Stakeholder Support Coalition• Focused effort to inform the

Administration (Interior & OMB) and Congress• 57 organizations endorsed the 2014 letters

2014 Stakeholder Coalition Alabama Rivers Alliance American Canoe Association American Meteorological Society American Rivers American Society of Civil Engineers American Water Resources Association American Water Works Association American Whitewater Appalachian Mountain Club Association of American State Geologists Association of California Water Agencies Association of Clean Water Administrators Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies Association of State Dam Safety Officials Association of State Floodplain Managers Bear River Commission California Sportfishing Protection Alliance Coastal States Organization Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum Colorado Water Congress Delaware River Basin Commission Environmental Defense Fund Farmington River Watershed Association Great Lakes Commission Hydropower Reform Coalition Idaho Rivers United Idaho Water Users Association Interstate Commission on the Potomac River

Basin

Interstate Council on Water Policy Irrigation Association Maryland Water Monitoring Council Missouri River Association of States & Tribes National Association of Clean Water Agencies National Association of Flood& Stormwater

Management Agencies National Association of State Boating Law

Administrators National Drought Mitigation Center National Hydrologic Warning Council National Hydropower Association National Water Resources Association National Tribal Water Council National Wildlife Federation The Nature Conservancy New England Interstate Water Pollution Control

Commission Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission Oregon Water Resources Congress Red River Compact Commission Susquehanna River Basin Commission Texas Water Conservation Association Trout Unlimited Upper Colorado River Compact Commission Upper Mississippi River Basin Association Washington State Water Resources Association Water Environment Federation Western Landowners Alliance Western States Water Council

Yellowstone River Compact Commission

36 States Support Alabama Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Idaho Illinois Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maine Maryland

Massachusetts Minnesota Missouri Montana Nevada Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Dakota Oklahoma

Oregon Rhode Island Texas South Carolina South Dakota Utah Vermont Virginia Washington

National Streamgage Networkby USGS

effective combinationto achieve high quality science

based on reliable measurements and

shared investmentguided by national priorities