UPDATE 9/7/11 River Gages on the Chopping Block!

[DeBo]

No, I just talked to USGS about it. I think that the gages we lost last fall which included DeView, were out of the Memphis district. Talking to them is a good idea though.

We would love to make more work for you TC! Gages rule

[TC]

Yep I know those guys. The Tin Man (gil) knows more about the Corps. budget than me. I'm just a streamgager.
USGS does a great job & they give alot of different agencys data that they need. If the data helps the Corps accomplish its mission they fund USGS to maintain the gage.
Take Lock & Dam#13 for example: one on Debo's list to be cut.
USGS takes discharge measurements below the dam during high flows funded by the Corps. My guess ADEQ is funding the water quality data that USGS provides. I maintain the lock & dam equipment.
Now lets take Big Piney another one on the hit list. USGS takes discharge measurements, maintains equipment, and water quality fund by the corps, ADEQ & probably other agencys that i'm not aware of. Will USGS cut this gage because ADEQ is pulling its funding? If they do I'm sure I'll be puting new equipment in because this gage is use by the Corps.

[Renee H]

Thanks TC! Any input on what we can do to save the funding for the river gauges will help. I was thinking along the lines of making donations and if we could do it through an organization that will allow the donations to be tax exempt all the better. I need to check, but I think donations made through American Whitewater will be tax deductible so we need to check out this corridor as well!

TC - whatever you guys can do to help will be GREATLY appreciated!!!!

[SteveGabbard]

I agree with Fish's top four as well.

I don't know enough about the rest to comment.

[Victor Caballeros]

It is easier to share the cost if we could. It’s better to have 600 people give $5.00 than one to give $3000.00 If we could have one chapter save one gauge this year like: NWA save Boxley, RV Save Lee, Little Rock save Richland etc...... It can lead to next year saving 1-3 more gauges and so on.
I don’t see why it cost so much to run a gauge, but I’m no genius either. I still like the idea of us going out there and clear a tree/ branch or put in AA batteries in these gauges if need be.
We can also have a fund raiser for these gauges, cookouts, car washes, or whatever. I know that the ACC stands for a lot of good things, but I feel like this one is very important for sure!!! I would be inclined to help out more than usual on this. I do feel if we can all get along and work together. We can conquer this gauge problem, because it affects every boater. There are boaters that don't ever use the message board but they do use the gauges!!!! They need to come out too and all of us be unitied boaters.

My DOS CENTOBOS

[TC]

Was told that USGS and US Army Corps of Eng. have reshuffle the money cards and WE were not going to lose any any gages. What does WE mean? Just the Corps gages or all the gages? Guess I should've asked.
I don't think the Boxely or the Richland gage are in the Coprs. budget.
Stay Tuned

[DeBo]

Thanks TC, for following up on this. I sure would like to know who WE is also. I know that the gages the Memphis Corp discontinued funding for last year are gone. They have been physically remove from the rivers. Two of them were extremely important for our eastern wetland trips. They were Bayou DeView at Morton and Cache at Patterson. This next round threatens Cache at Egypt, leaving the Cache without any gage at all.

I look forward to hearing what you find out.

[TC]

Debo u have PM.

[shelbyjohnson]

If we had to prioritize these two would be my vote for highest priority.

#1 Priority - 07055875 Richland Creek
#2 Priority - 07055646 Buffalo River near Boxley

Thanks

[ARzach]

If we had to prioritize these two would be my vote for highest priority.

#1 Priority - 07055875 Richland Creek
#2 Priority - 07055646 Buffalo River near Boxley

Thanks

Agree!

[DeBo]

Thanks to everybody who who has commented on gauges. I agree with the priorities Fish listed and it seems these creeks are on everyones list. I don't want to get everyones hopes up too soon but I will be following up on some possible funding for all of these gauges this week. I am hoping to find out in a few days. Stay tuned!

[fishhomer75]

For the east Arkansas gauges you might try getting word out to the duck hunting community. Thousands of people hunt the cache when it is up and I can't imagine not having a gauge going over well. Maybe contact someone at ducks unlimited, the local chapters will be having there meetings in the early fall. I think the little rock one is in October. As for which gauges to save , I would say the ones that don't have an outfitter that can be called for info. Thx for bringing this to light.

[cpresoz]

For the east Arkansas gauges you might try getting word out to the duck hunting community. Thousands of people hunt the cache when it is up and I can't imagine not having a gauge going over well. Maybe contact someone at ducks unlimited, the local chapters will be having there meetings in the early fall. I think the little rock one is in October. As for which gauges to save , I would say the ones that don't have an outfitter that can be called for info. Thx for bringing this to light.

That's a great idea! Lot of big money in the duck hunting community and they tend to influence politics and include movers and shakers. Not that the floating community doesn't. . .

[JB2012]

To me, the Buffalo guages and the King's are the most important. I live near these rivers and use them, espeially the Buffalo because my shuttle is so simple.

The Northwest chapter has a free pizza meeting every year. I would gladly forego the free pizza and use that money for guages. I am also in favor of increasing the dues if needed for that purpose. (I am on a board of a volunteer fire department; only 40% of the home-owners in my fire district pay dues. The non-paying 60% still get the benefits. Such is life.)

Nothing is free.

[painterbob]

the Buffalo gauges will not be part of the chopping!