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

[Fish]

Pizza parties and such generally only cost $100-$200 and usually result in some new members and renewals which offset that cost (and then some). Passing the hat around with the crowd at a pizza party could raise a lot more for an issue like this too I bet.

- Fish

[DeBo]

I am happy to report some very good news on our at risk gauges. A new partnership has been formed to replace the funding lost from ADEQ, AGS and the Memphis Corp. All listed gauges are now fully funded for the next year.
All cuts resulted in about $120K worth of funding being lost from the stream gauging network (which directly impacted 32 gauges in Arkansas).

Over a week ago I sent a request to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, explaining the importance of these gauges for recreation and conservation, asking for their help in supporting them. I received a very positive response from them and now ANRC has stepped up to replace a lion’s share of the needed money.

Several other agencies have also stepped in to help offset the shortfall (a total of 11 new partners), with the ANRC, LR Corps of Engineers and AR USGS providing the largest share of these new funds. The ACC was asked to chip in $1,544 by picking up the funding of the Big Piney gauge and Richland Creek near Witt Springs.

The ACC has agreed to fund these two gauges from the Conservation fund for now and add to our gauge fund for the future. The ACC name and logo will appear on the website of these gauges.

[Fish]

Great news indeed! Hey, you think if I funded a gauge they'd put a photo of me on next to the gauge reading on the USGS site? Something like this:

- Fish

[Cowper]

Hey, you think if I funded a gauge they'd put a photo of me on next to the gauge reading on the USGS site? Something like this:

Great idea! But I call dibs on 07260500 Petit Jean River at Danville at $122
:myday" (gotta save for retirement)

[waldensridgewhitewater]

Debo


GOOD JOB!!!!

[DeBo]

Thanks! I also want to thank all the members who posted their good ideas here and sent me private messages. Your support is very important. We will use your good ideas to raise money for the gauge fund. I think that we need to keep enough money in that fund to pay a share of at least one or two gauges, so that we can kick in immediately if we need to.

Many paddlers now, don't remember the days of trying to figure out where the water fell from looking at weather maps and going to the river only to find no water. I think that happened about half the time on Richland. The ACC was the main driving force in getting that gauge and it is good that we are now maintaining it.

Last fall, I went to the USGS site to look at the Bayou DeView guage for a swamp float and it was gone. I called USGS and was told that this guage had already been pulled from the river along with a dozen others in east Arkansas. When I expressed my dismay, they said, "We didn't know you (the ACC) were interested in guages in east Arkansas or we would have contacted you for help.

Public interest really makes a difference and one of the reasons you join the ACC is to have a stronger voice in matters like this.

Thanks!

[cpresoz]

Well that confirms it that if we don't show interest, they don't even know we care. Thank you for everything you've done.

[CAPTAIN ALEVE]

Bravo!

Captain Aleve, alias Mike Coogan

[Tmuse]

Very Nice! Thank you Debo!

[Karla]

Debo thanks for all your hard work for the club and everything else you do.


Karla

[JackZ]

hey check it out, this is a chance to privatize something that shouldn't be the government's responsibility anyway

[kayakdoc]

Excellent job Debo! I bet you really make some people sweat when you get on their tail! The ACC and the rivers/streams are very lucky to have you!