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~', .. This erosion in federal funding has led to the discontinuance, disrepair, or obsolescence of a significant number of stream gages, reducing our forecasting and emergency warning capabilities. In the past, the Cooperative Water Program, a federal/non-federal streamgaging partnership, was funded by 50%-50% matching grants, but now roughly two-thirds of the money comes from non-USGS sources. Federal appropriations have not kept up with rising federal costs, primarily as a result of partially unfunded USGS salary increases. As costs for salaries and overhead are absorbed by USGS and Cooperators, money needed to maintain streamgages is diverted and hundreds, of gages, including valuable long-term gages with more than 30 years of records, have been lost. For FY2007, we are asking that you request $74 million in order to restore real program purchasing power to its FY2003 level, taking into account mandatory federal pay raises, rent increases and new information security requirements. This amount is still well below the $138 million contributed by cooperators annually since FY2004, and we would urge you and the President to consider gradually raising your annual requests to eventually match this amount. Similarly, the NSIP is severely underfunded. Again, for FY2007, we are asking that you request $16.2 million in order to restore real program purchasing powerto its FY20031evel, Another $100 million is needed to reactivate and add streamgages, upgrade the system, and realize the full vision of the NSIP. According to USGS data, the percentage of streamgages in the base network now funded by USGS NSIP funds is 13%. Again, the goals of the NSIP were found by the National Research Council as an appropriate foundation for the program and that they were both reasonable and appropriate. A fully funded NSIP averts the,loss of long-term gages, which is critical for analysis of trends, floods, and water supply. Even though the total number of stream gages remains high, the trend is to have fewer and fewer long-term gages that fit the needs ofNSIP. There is a serious need for adequate and consistent federal funding to maintain, restore, modernize, and provide for the targeted expansion of USGS's Cooperative Stream Gaging Program and National Stream Flow Information Program, with a primary focus on coordinated data collection and dissemination. State-of-the-art technology should be used to provide real or near real-time streamflow data with the potential to vastly improve the water-related information available todecisionmakers in natural resources and emergency management, and thus better protect the public safety, welfare and the environment. Together, we urge you and the President to give a higher priority to budgeting sufficient funds for these critical, essential and vital programs by first restoring your request for appropriations to FY2003 real spending levels, and then increasing future spending requests until authorized levels and matching monies are fully funded. Sincerely, Hal Simpson, Chairman Western States Water Council Joe Hoffman, Chairman Interstate Council on Water Policy