Answer:
Existing real-time stream-gaging stations have been established to meet
the mission requirements of the U.S. Geological Survey and
its cooperating agencies, including water resources
management, flood warning, and water resources
investigations. Most existing stations were established at
the specific request of cooperating agencies with funding
support from those agencies, but USGS also has a long-term
strategic goal of having real-time access to nearly all of
its 7000 stream-gaging stations across the
United States.
The schedule for adding real-time access to the remainder
of the stations is a function of funding for satellite or
telephone connections, and will probably take many years
to complete. In a few cases, the cost may be relatively
inexpensive where phone lines are readily available, but
in other cases it may cost $5,000-10,000 to add an
individual station.
