Schumer: Stream Gauges Dramatically Improve Flood Detection & Planning for Residents, First Responders -- Now Funds will Flow to High Priority Sites in Southern Tier, Central NY and Capital Region

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that 9 high-priority stream gauges will now receive long-term funding, staving off their planned closure on October 1st. In addition to those 9, Schumer confirmed that 2 more gauges will receive long-term funding to operate on a limited basis, providing peak annual flow information. Schumer has long spoken of the importance of stream gauges in flood detection, prevention, and evacuation planning in Upstate New York, and called for the full funding of New York's existing 200-plus stream and river gauges, and urged for more funding for the federally-supported stream gauge network in both FY2014 and FY2015. Today, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced that it had identified long-term funding sources that would be used to keep open 9 of New York's highest priority stream gauges; otherwise these gauges would have been shut off on October 1st. Schumer noted that this does not include all of New York's high-priority gauges, and he will continue fighting to find permanent funding for others.

"We have learned from Tropical Storms Irene and Lee, Superstorm Sandy, and the periodic flooding in Upstate New York that we cannot shortchange programs that our communities rely on to keep their citizens safe and well-informed, and that help first responders. Today's announcement means the USGS is learning this lesson -- and more importantly -- I am pleased we will now keep many of our highest priority stream gauges online long-term," said Schumer. "Stream gauges are the first line of defense in river flooding, and in these cases, a stitch in time saves nine. As recent flooding and natural disasters have shown, funding stream gauges is a critical and comparatively minor investment relative to the cost of repairing and rebuilding after a flood for which a community did not have time to prepare. We have a solemn responsibility to prepare our communities in the event of natural disasters and always do our best to prevent loss of life and property--stream gauges do both for pennies on the dollar."

Schumer revealed that 9 gauges, dispersed between the Susquehanna, Bronx, Salmon and Chemung Rivers, as well as one on Owego Creek, will now be funded at least through 2014. Schumer also revealed that another 2 stream gauges have secured long-term funding through 2014 and beyond to operate on a limited basis, providing peak annual flow information only. Schumer released the full list of the stream gauges that will now be receiving funding through 2014 and beyond:

Station Number

Station Name & Location

Status

01302020

Bronx River at NY Botanical Gardens at Bronx NY

long-term funding secured

01500500

Susquehanna River at Unadilla NY *

long-term funding secured

01502632

Susquehanna River at Bainbridge NY

long-term funding secured

01502731

Susquehanna River at Windsor NY

long-term funding secured

01503500

Susquehanna River at Binghamton NY

long-term funding secured

01513831

Susquehanna River at Owego NY

long-term funding secured

01514000

Owego Creek at Owego NY

long-term funding secured

01530332

Chemung River at Elmira NY

long-term funding secured

04273700

Salmon River at South Plattsburgh

long-term funding secured

01333500

Little Hoosic River at Petersburg NY **

long-term funding, peak annual flow only

04245200

Butternut Creek near Jamesville NY **

long-term funding, peak annual flow only

* Susquehanna River at Unadilla will be upgraded to full continuous streamflow to better support river forecasting.

** Operations at these stations will be changed to a crest-stage gauge and provide peak annual flow information only.

The USGS in consultation with partners, including the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS), NYSDEC, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and the Lake Champlain Basin Program evaluated the New York stream-gauging network to prioritize stream gauges use with an emphasis on those that provide information needed for flood forecast and warning, an index for hydrologic conditions and water availability, or provide model reference information for infrastructure design specifications. Through this effort, stream gauges were prioritized and the network evaluated to determine where available funds should be focused. The result of this effort is that a number of stream gauges will now be supported in 2014 and beyond. Schumer noted that he will continue working to find permanent funding sources for all of New York's 200-plus stream gauges.

Last year, on a conference call with reporters, Schumer pointed to existing stream gauges throughout Upstate New York that are subject to inadequate funding and risk of shutdown each year. Schumer urged his colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee, with jurisdiction over stream gauge funding, to increase the funding for existing stream gauges throughout the US, and followed-up that effort with letters to appropriators in support of more funding in both FY2014 and FY2015.

USGS streamflow information, currently collected at more than 8,000 stream gauges nationwide, provides the scientific basis for protecting, managing, and sustaining freshwater with information that is available in real time, which is critical to protect communities and minimize loss of life and property from water hazards, including floods, droughts, and debris flows. Stream gauges are used by the National Weather Service (NWS) to provide flood forecasting and warning information ahead of potential natural disasters. Flood gauges are essential to New York communities for a variety of reasons. In the hours preceding floods and during floods themselves, gauges help first responders and community officials keep the public abreast of the current threat. Officials can predict when rivers will crest, how much water is expected to spill into certain flood plains, and access to a wealth of other data that can help them manage the disaster. Additionally, flood gauges help provide data for future flood maps, monitor water quality and use, and help planners determine the appropriate support structures for bridges, based on the water flow beneath them.

In most years, of all the natural disasters, flooding causes the greatest amount of property damage and loss of human life. One of the most effective ways of reducing these losses is advance warning of the flood and knowledge of the areas that are likely to be flooded. The National Weather Service (NWS) provides flood forecasts using models that are calibrated, checked, and verified with USGS-supplied streamflow information. Recently, the USGS has helped develop a new tool using information from stream gauges called a flood inundation map library to assist first responders and the general public in knowing what areas will be flooded and how deep those flood waters will be for a given storm based on the NWS flood forecast. Real-time flood inundation map applications run flood simulations and create maps "on the fly" during a flood, using real-time data. The maps are freely available to anyone at any time. For 2013 and 2014, additional rivers will be mapped for estimates of flood inundation. The USGS will continue to work with other Federal agencies (NWS, Corps of Engineers, and Federal Emergency Management Agency), state emergency management agencies, and private companies to enhance and provide consistent flood inundation maps for the public and emergency responders.

Source