The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is asking Senators and Congressmen from New York to procure the money needed to avert a shut-down of 18 stream gauges and 16 rain gauges in the Southern Tier. The gauges are set to be shut down March 1st for lack of funding The Commission says $215,000 is needed to keep the gauges operating this year. Money for the gauges was deleted from the federal budget in 2011 and since then, various state and federal agencies have been covering the shortfalls. The region has 18 stream gauges on the Susquehanna River including those in Binghamton, Vestal, Waverly and Owego and one on the Chemung River in Elmira; there are also 16 rain gauges including ones in Vestal, Elmira, Waverly. Senator Charles Schumer is calling on the National Weather service to include funding for the gauges in their spending plan, noting that the NOAA received $25 million to improve weather forecasting in the recent Superstorm Sandy relief bill. 23rd District Congressman Tom Reed is also urging them to make the gauges a priority. According to Schumer’s office, flooding in the region covered by the gauges causes damages totaling over $150 million dollars on average every year.
