4/20/2007

Estimated Benefits of a Fully Implemented U.S. Geological Survey
National Streamflow Information Program in Wyoming

… from the National Streamflow Information Program

This Fact Sheet is one in a series that highlights information or recent research findings from the USGS National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). The investigations and scientific results reported in this series require a nationally consistent streamgaging network with stable long-term monitoring sites and a rigorous program of data collection, quality assurance, management, archiving, and synthesis. NSIP produces multipurpose, unbiased surface-water information that is readily accessible to all.

One goal of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP) is to provide a national ‘backbone’ streamgage

network with about 4,780 federally funded streamgages selected to provide streamflow information to meet national needs. In Wyoming , there will

be 113 of these planned federally-funded streamgages. These national-need streamgages would be supplemented with partnership-funded

streamgages to help fulfill the need for local, state, and regional streamflow-information. National streamflow-information needs are defined in

NSIP as follows:

Ø Streamflow forecast locations of the National Weather Service (NWS) and the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS);

Ø Interstate compacts, court decrees, international treaties, and major national and state-line crossings;

Ø Major river basin outflows to downstream basins, estuaries, oceans, and Great Lakes;

Ø Watersheds mostly unaffected by diversion and regulation to evaluate the responses to climate, land, and water use; and

Ø USGS major water-quality programs.

To fully implement NSIP in Wyoming only would require $3.12M in one-time costs and $2.57M annually (in 2006 dollars). These one-time costs

include reactivating 30 discontinued streamgages, installing 8 new streamgages, flood hardening streamgages used by the NWS for flood forecasts,

and updating real-time telemetry on all streamgages in Wyoming . The annual costs are for operation and maintenance of the 113 NSIP

federal-goal streamgages, to cover the fixed costs of the entire network in Wyoming, regional assessments of streamflow information, additional

data collection and analysis during and following floods and droughts, improved streamflow-information delivery, and development of new

equipment and techniques to measure streamflow more accurately, reliably, and at less cost.

Savings to Current Streamgaging Partners in Wyoming

The USGS currently (2007) operates 93 continuous-record streamgages in Wyoming, of which 59 were selected to be part of the NSIP

federal-goal streamgage network. Currently, 33 of these 59 streamgages are funded through the Cooperative Water Program (CWP) and 26 are

fully funded by NSIP. If NSIP were fully funded in Wyoming , all 59 of these streamgages would be completely federally funded (as would 54

additional streamgages in Wyoming not currently operated by the USGS). In addition, for the 34 existing streamgages (and for any future/new

streamgages) in Wyoming that would remain funded through the CWP, the cost of operation would be about 40 percent less than the current costs

because NSIP would cover the infrastructure costs of all streamgages operated in the Nation. These infrastructure costs are costs of the

streamgaging network that are for the most part independent of the number of streamgages operated and cover such items as salary for

management and supervision of the Wyoming network, maintenance and updates of the database, and administrative support of the program.

These changes would translate into a savings to current funding partners in Wyoming of about $276,377 per year for full federal funding of the 31

existing NSIP national needs streamgages not already NSIP funded and $137,180 per year savings due to the infrastructure costs being covered

for the 34 streamgages that would remain cooperatively funded for a total savings to funding partners in Wyoming of about $413,557 per year

(accounts for the USGS CWP contribution in existing funding – see Appendix for computations).

Additional Benefits to Wyoming of a fully implemented NSIP

In addition to the fiscal benefits discussed above, users of streamflow information in Wyoming also will benefit from NSIP based on the other enhancements

the program will provide. These enhancements will include the following:

1. A total of 113 streamgages would be operated and maintained in Wyoming funded entirely by federal funds (total network in Wyoming is now 93

streamgages; an equivalent of 26 are fully funded by NSIP). Many, if not all, of the existing (and future new) streamgages not funded by NSIP would

remain funded through the Cooperative Water Program at a 50-50 cost share, but at a cost approximately 40 percent less than today.

2. Developments in data input and analyses techniques, as well as investments in other new software and hardware for the National Water Information

System (NWIS) database will enhance data delivery to provide more accurate and timely streamflow information.

3. Enhanced data acquisition and analyses during and after floods and droughts will provide a better understanding of these hydrologic extremes

for better predictions in the future.

4. Regional assessments of the streamflow information will provide better estimates of streamflow at locations distant from streamgages and also information

as to where to place new streamgages to optimize the streamgaging network. This information will also be central to the NSIP goal of being able to

predict streamflow characteristics at any point on any stream in the nation. These assessments will also provide insight to any trends in streamflow

caused by changes in land use, water use, or climate.

5. Research and development will provide better equipment and techniques to measure and understand streamflow.

Appendix — Computations for Wyoming Partner Savings from USGS NSIP

1. Full Federal funding for existing NSIP streamgages not already funded by NSIP:

33 streamgages X $14,195 = $468,435 per year; USGS partners currently (2007) pay about 59 percent to the USGS’s 41 percent — $468,435 X 0.59

= $276,377/year partner savings

2. Reduced cost per streamgage because infrastructure costs covered:

$14,195/streamgage X 0.40 = $5,678 reduction in per streamgage costs;

Cooperative Water Program partners currently pay 59 percent, so their share of these
savings = 0.59 X $5,678 = $3,350. Savings = (34 CWP funded streamgages – 10 OFA funded streamgages) X $3,350 = $80,400 per year;

10 OFA f unded streamgages X $5,678 = $56,780 per year; $80,400 + $56,780 = $137,180 per year.

3. Total savings = $259,627 + $137,180 = $413,557 per year