Agency Urges Committee to Properly Fund Stream Gauges

A West Virginia legislative committee dedicated to flooding has been warned the state needs a more comprehensive way to fund stream gauges, which provide data needed to help warn residents of impending high waters.

West Virginia Conservation Agency Executive Director Brian Farkas told the Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding on Monday that several state and federal agencies annually scramble to fund a network of stream gauges.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports this year’s current network cost is about $1.8 million, with over three-quarters of funding coming from the U.S. Geological Survey and other federal agencies.

Legislation passed in April allows the committee to study all activities related to flood protection. It also created the State Resiliency Office to oversee economic and community resilience planning and implementation efforts, including flood protection programs.