U.S. Water News Online
WASHINGTON -- In the wake of severe winter flooding across the nation, Congress is considering budget cuts to the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Water Resources Investigations division that could put public safety at risk, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently told Congress.
"The basic water data that USGS collects form a vital foundation for flood prediction and control, and accurate engineering design of public infrastructure," said ASCE president Edward O. Groff, P.E., who testified before the House Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies. "Without it, we couldn't get people out of harm's way in time when flooding hits, and we couldn't effectively manage the nation's water resources," Groff said. "That can put people and property at risk."
The USGS monitors more than 45,000 stations that measure the amount and quality of surface water and groundwater to evaluate hazards associated with floods, droughts, landslides, and subsidence, according to the USGS. The National Weather Service (NWS) uses data from 3,970 of these streamflow stations to forecast river stages and flow conditions on major rivers and smaller streams in urban areas.
During the extreme floods of 1996 and January 1997, the data from these stations formed the basis for flood forecasts that enabled people and property to be evacuated from the flood affected areas, said the ASCE. In the Willamett Valley of Oregon alone, it is estimated that the USGS data saved an estimated $2.7 billion in flood damage, as well as many lives, Groff said.
While the administration's fiscal year 1998 budget calls for a net increase of $6.5 million for the USGS, these funds come, in part, from cuts in the USGS' Hydrologic Networks and Analysis Program ($1.66 million) and the National Water Resources Federal/State Cooperative Program ($1.21 million), according to officials.
Though these cuts are small, Groff said, they will eliminate crucial basic water data collection activities at some 120 sites, and cancel 10 new cooperative projects planned for fiscal year 1998 on important water supply and contamination issues.
"The federal cost of basic water data collection and analysis pales when compared to the cost of building facilities, implementing water regulations, and devising flood management programs based on inadequate data," cautioned Groff.
Other budget-cutting attempts that call for more leveraging and increasing user fees also lack merit, said Groff. The USGS already cooperates with more than 1,100 federal, state and local agencies. These partners provide nearly $300 million annually in direct support, says the USGS.
In addition to this funding, the Water Resources Division leverages more than $60 million through the Federal/State Cooperative Program, in which the federal government is supposed to fully match contributions made by the states. But in 1993, $20 million in state offerings went unmatched by the federal government. By 1996, the gap grew to $29 million.
"By sharing the costs, USGS can conduct studies at substantial cost savings. But, the federal government should be a fully-cooperating partner in the Cooperative Program by matching states' offerings each year," said Groff.
Groff also cautioned Congress about transferring USGS' data collection and analysis to other agencies or the private sector in an effort to save federal dollars. This could undermine the objective reputation of the data, he warned. Because watersheds often span several states, one federal agency must be responsible for reliably collecting and reporting data. Any assessment by a regulating agency would be inherently suspect, Groff said.
"This attack on the USGS comes with a silver lining," said Elizabeth Clarke, ASCE Manager of Legislative Affairs. "Congress learned today that continuous, objective, national water data are vital to public safety and property protection,"
Founded in 1852, ASCE represents more than 120,000 civil engineers worldwide and is the world's largest and America's oldest national engineering society.
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