Stream flow Information 

in Budget Trouble

25 Apr 2001  

Stream flow Information in Budget Trouble: Call to anglers, fisheries biologists, stream ecologists and river conservationists! 

USGS collects stream flow information for lots of reasons, such as water supply system operation, flood management and warning, river biology and  other worthwhile activities. This information is fundamental to understanding the health of the nation's rivers. It is also fundamental to managing the nation's rivers for water supply, hydropower, irrigation and of course, flood control.  Anglers, fisheries biologists, stream ecologists and river

conservationists all depend on this information.

Budget cuts in the last decade have reduced the number of stream gages by about 1000 - leaving about 7000 active now. In President Bush's first budget, the USGS water program took a huge cut - $43 million or 21% of the $202 million FY 2001 budget. The USGS usually loses in the congressional wrangling over money, largely because it gets little support from the people who use the information, including anglers and conservationists.

To take action, go to the Activist Network page on Trout Unlimited's website, www.tu.org   and send an e-mail or letter of support to the President and your members of Congress. Alert your members to this issue. A flood of support in the next month may help save the information system we need. For more information and to send a letter, go to:

capwiz.com/tu/issues/alert/?alertid=16435&type=CO