Stream Gages going away 7/1/17?

[Eric82]

I've been checking a few different stream gages lately on USGS and it had a note in yellow that this or that gage may be discontinued as of July 1st?  Does anyone have any info on this? That would be a shame to me at least because i use them a lot...  Thanks.

[moturkey]

Don't have a link handy to the smallmouth discussion thread on this point, but it's been mentioned in several other threads. It would be a shame.

 

 

[Al Agnew]

It appears that you can thank our new governor and our state legislators this time...they are planning on defunding the gauges that MO DNR funds.

[Al Agnew]

The following is a list of gauges on Ozark streams that the MO DNR presently funds--they are all going to be defunded if the governor has his way:

Niangua River at Windyville (upper river, above Bennett Spring)

Little Niangua

Tavern Creek

Little Piney

Meramec at Cook Station (the rest of the Meramec gauges are funded by the Corps of Engineers)

Huzzah Creek

South Fork Saline Creek

Castor River, both gauges

Flat Creek (running into the James River)

Current River at Montauk

Current River at Akers

Jacks Fork near Mountain View

Little Black River

Spring River at La Russell

North Fork Spring River

Big Sugar Creek

Little Sugar Creek

Indian Creek

You'll note that most gauges on rivers that the Corps of Engineers has dams on are funded by them and not in danger of closing.  The Army is now funding the Big Piney gauges and the Gasconade is funded by other than the DNR.  Rural Electric Co-ops funds the lower Niangua gauges.

I suspect that the governor and legislators are gambling that somebody else will pick up funding these gauges, but really the only other agency with any kind of stake in them is MDC.  At present, MDC is funding one gauge, the Gasconade at Rich Fountain, in cooperation with the DNR.

I don't know how many northern Missouri gauges DNR is funding, I didn't take the time to look them up.  But it takes about $15,000 a year to operate each gauge.  The total that the state of Missouri via the MO DNR is paying per year for the 18 gauges listed above, which I believe are all the important Ozark stream gauges, is $270,000.  While not a figure to sneeze at, that's pretty much a drop in the bucket, and it's a resource that obviously a lot of people use frequently.

I suggest a campaign to complain to your state legislators and the governor is in order.

[fishinwrench]

I'm sure the outfitters would be willing to pick up the tab on the Niangua unless they are claiming that it "cost millions to keep them going".

[Deadstream]

Sounds like a great way to save some money!    I'm sure in can be done for less then $15,000.00 each.   Every drop in the bucket count's!   

[moturkey]

I'm dreaming up a sinister pass-the-hat campaign now... privatize the gauges from our pooled resources and spike the data to keep the bozos off the river. Record flooding in August droughts anyone?!?

Who's in!?!?

[moguy1973]

What really goes into the costs operating one of these things?  Is it the transmission of the data?  There can't be that much up keep on them other than when there are floods I guess.

[fishinwrench]

 

What really goes into the costs operating one of these things?  Is it the transmission of the data?  There can't be that much up keep on them other than when there are floods I guess.

Oh I'm sure they claim that the expense is a monster.  

Example:  In order for me to get my mail I have to walk to the mailbox 6 days a week.  You'd be blown away if you knew how much that costs me yearly.

I can't just walk out there naked....I gotta have clothes, and shoes. 

Have to buy toe nail clippers or I won't be able to put socks on.

I need nourishment, protein and carbs to trim those toenails, get dressed, put on shoes, and walk.

Sometimes there are wasps around the mailbox...Gotta keep them killed off. 

Umbrella for rainy days.

Snow shovel.

Gloves.

More protein and carbs.

I might slip and fall....Band-Aids, Neosporin, and possibly medical attention.

There was a copperhead out there once, and my eyes are getting bad....Need glasses or I might step on him.

It adds up boys!  If I could just eliminate having to walk to the mailbox I could save 24k per year !

[moguy1973]

 

Oh I'm sure they claim that the expense is a monster.  

Example:  In order for me to get my mail I have to walk to the mailbox 6 days a week.  You'd be blown away if you knew how much that costs me yearly.

I can't just walk out there naked....I gotta have clothes, and shoes. 

Have to buy toe nail clippers or I won't be able to put socks on.

I need nourishment, protein and carbs to trim those toenails, get dressed, put on shoes, and walk.

Sometimes there are wasps around the mailbox...Gotta keep them killed off. 

Umbrella for rainy days.

Snow shovel.

Gloves.

More protein and carbs.

I might slip and fall....Band-Aids, Neosporin, and possibly medical attention.

There was a copperhead out there once, and my eyes are getting bad....Need glasses or I might step on him.

It adds up boys!  If I could just eliminate having to walk to the mailbox I could save 24k per year !

I work for the state and I know exactly how that goes