The West Virginia Water Gaging Council

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The West Virginia Water Gaging Council

• Need, Development, and Organization

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Flow Data from West Virginia River Gages are used
for

• Managing Floods and Droughts
• Real-time warning monitoring
• Predicting magnitudes, frequencies, locations
• Research and Planning
• Understanding managing natural human effects
• Designing bridges, dams, channels
• Operating water projects
• Evaluating the availability of water supplies
• Boating and Fishing Recreation

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Number of West Virginia River Gages, 1961-2004
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Funding for the West Virginia River Gage Program,
1992-2004
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Average rate of cost increase 3.8 per year
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Trends in the West Virginia River Gage Program

• The number of gages peaked in 1975 (131) and has
  declined by nearly half in 2004 (70).
• Funding for gages increased from 661,210 in 1992
  to 1,047,720 in 2004.
• The average annual funding increase since 1992
  (3.85 per year) has been mostly consumed by
  inflation.

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West Virginia River Gage Workshop, February
19-20, 2003

• River Gage Program in decline cut by 100,000 in
  2002 and facing nearly 200,000 in additional
  cuts for 2003.
• USGS and Canaan Valley Institute sponsored the
  River Gage Workshop to
• Describe status and trends of gaging programs.
• Present information on multiple uses of gage
  data.
• Establish an advisory committee to help guide
  gaging programs.

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West Virginia Water Gaging Council

• Formed as the result of a CVI facilitated session
  at the River Gage Workshop.
• Envisioned by participants as an advisory group
  to ensure that gaging network was meeting
  customers needs.
• CVI agreed to facilitate Council meetings.

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West Virginia Water Gaging Council

• Members
• State Agencies
• West Virginia Conservation Agency
• West Virginia Department of Environmental
  Protection
• West Virginia Division of Highways
• West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
• West Virginia Office of Emergency Services
• West Virginia Water Research Institute
• Federal Agencies
• National Weather Service
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Geological Survey
• Non-governmental Organizations
• Canaan Valley Institute
• West Virginia Rivers Coalition

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West Virginia Water Gaging Council

• Purpose Help achieve effective collection and
  dissemination of environmental data applicable to
  water resources, including ground-and
  surface-water and precipitation gaging.
• Mission Ensure that reliable water gaging data
  are available for stakeholders.
• Support long-term viability of gaging networks.
• Establish and maintain long-term water data
  networks.
• Obtain relevant and reliable data sets.
• Maintain publicly accessible data sets.

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West Virginia Water Gaging Council

• West Virginia University Foundation
• Established by the West Virginia Water Research
  Institute to accept private donations for
  application to Water Gaging Council approved
  activities, as directed by agreement between the
  Water Gaging Council and donor.