A summary of the budget process for the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program (GWSIP) is provided below for the three most recent fiscal years.
To supplement each summary, a more detailed reference document for the Water Resources Mission Area (WMA) showing the reports released with each congressional mark, links to the USGS and WMA President’s Budget Request, and associated details is also provided.
Fiscal Year 2020
Final Enacted Bill
On December 20, 2019, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116-94) was enacted. The bill funded the WMA at \$234.1 million, including \$84.2 million for the GWSIP. Within this amount, the bill included \$300,000 for work to examine perflourinated compounds, $1.5M for streamgages on transboundary rivers, and an additional \$1.5 million to implement a baseline assessment strategy for transboundary rivers.
A table summarizing the 2019 Enacted, 2020 President’s Budget Request, and 2020 changes proposed in House and Senate Marks, then enacted in the final bill, is provided below.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||
| Mission Area / Program / Activity (dollars in thousands) |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
President's Budget (PB) Request |
Budget Changes from 2019 Enacted |
Proposed House Mark Changes from 2019 Enacted | Proposed Senate Mark Changes from 2019 Enacted | Enacted Changes from 2019 Enacted |
| Water Resources: Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program | |||||||
| – Fixed Costs, Administrative Savings, and Other Adjustments | [0] | [0] | [177] | +177 | -1,159 | 0 | 0 |
| – National Groundwater Monitoring Network | [3,929] | [3,929] | [1,534] | -2,395 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Federal Priority Streamgage Network | [24,715] | [24,715] | [24,715] | 0 | +4,770 | +1,000 | 0 |
| – U.S.-Canada Transboundary Streamgages (Other Rivers) | [0] | [1,500] | [0] | -1,500 | 0 | +1,500 | +1,500 |
| – Streamgages - Capital Costs (Next Generation Water Observing System) | [1,500] | [8,500] | [1,500] | -7,000 | +7,000 | -1,500 | 0 |
| – Research and Development to Advance Water Science (formerly National Research Program) | [2,467] | [2,467] | [927] | -1,540 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooperative Matching Funds (CMF) | [30,299] | [30,299] | [29,799] | -500 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Tribes - Indian Water Rights Settlements (CMF) | [1,000] | [1,000] | [500] | -500 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program | 74,173 | 82,673 | 69,915 | -12,758 | +12,500 | +2,500 | +8,500 |
| Total Water Resources (includes all Water Resources programs) | 217,554 | 226,308 | 179,922 | -46,386 | +13,609 | +2,500 | +7,812 |
| USGS TOTAL (includes all USGS programs) | 1,148,457 | 1,160,596 | 983,467 | -177,129 | +75,802 | +49,005 | +110,361 |
For more information on the entire 2020 budget process for the WMA, please use this reference document.
Fiscal Year 2019
Final Enacted Bill
On February 15, 2019, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 116-6) was enacted. The bill funded the WMA at \$226.3 million, including \$82.7 million for the GWSIP. Within this amount, the bill included \$120,000 for the Unuk River streamgage in Alaska, a \$1.5 million increase for transboundary streamgages, and a \$7.0 million increase to deploy and operate next-generation water observing system equipment. In addition, the bill explicitly directed the USGS to continue funding for the National Groundwater Monitoring Network at 2018 levels.
A table summarizing the 2018 Enacted, 2019 President’s Budget Request, and 2019 changes proposed in House and Senate Marks, then enacted in the final bill, is provided below.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |||||
| Mission Area / Program / Activity (dollars in thousands) |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
President's Budget (PB) Request |
Budget Changes from 2018 Enacted |
Proposed House Mark Changes from 2018 Enacted | Proposed Senate Mark Changes from 2018 Enacted | Enacted Changes from 2018 Enacted |
| Water Resources: Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program | |||||||
| – Fixed Costs, Administrative Savings, and Other Adjustments | [0] | [0] | [-943] | -943 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – National Groundwater Monitoring Network | [3,929] | [3,929] | [257] | -3,672 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – High Plains Aquifer Compilation | [80] | [80] | [0] | -80 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Federal Priority Streamgage Network | [24,675] | [24,715] | [24,675] | -40 | 0 | +1,000 | 0 |
| – U.S.-Canada Transboundary Streamgages (Unuk Rivers) | [160] | [120] | [0] | -120 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – U.S.-Canada Transboundary Streamgages (Other Rivers) | [0] | [0] | [0] | 0 | 0 | +1,500 | +1,500 |
| – Streamgages - Capital Costs | [0] | [1,500] | [0] | -1,500 | +12,500 | 0 | +7,000 |
| – Water Tools | [363] | [363] | [0] | -363 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Research and Development to Advance Water Science (formerly National Research Program) | [2,467] | [2,467] | [927] | -1,540 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooperative Matching Funds (CMF) | [30,299] | [30,299] | [29,299] | -1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Tribes - Indian Water Rights Settlements (CMF) | [1,000] | [1,000] | [0] | -1,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program | 72,673 | 74,173 | 64,915 | -9,258 | +12,500 | +2,500 | +8,500 |
| Total Water Resources (includes all Water Resources programs) | 214,754 | 217,554 | 164,922 | -52,632 | +13,569 | +2,500 | +8,754 |
| USGS TOTAL (includes all USGS programs) | 1,085,167 | 1,148,457 | 859,680 | -288,777 | +24,633 | -500 | +12,139 |
For more information on the entire 2019 budget process for the WMA, please use this reference document.
Fiscal Year 2018
Final Enacted Bill
On March 23, 2018, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) was enacted. The bill funded the WMA at \$217.6 million, including \$74.2 million for the GWSIP. Within this amount, the bill included \$120,000 for the Unuk River streamgage in Alaska and a \$1.5 million increase for streamgages. In addition, the bill explicitly directed the USGS to continue funding for the National Groundwater Monitoring Network at 2017 levels.
A table summarizing the 2017 Enacted, the 2018 President’s Budget Request, and the 2018 changes proposed in House and Senate Marks, then enacted in the final bill, is provided below.
| 2017 | 2018 | |||||
| Mission Area / Program / Activity (dollars in thousands) |
Enacted [Base Funding] |
President's Budget (PB) Request |
Budget Changes from 2017 Enacted |
Proposed House Mark Changes from 2017 Enacted | Proposed Senate Mark Changes from 2017 Enacted | Enacted Changes from 2017 Enacted |
| Water Resources: Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program | ||||||
| – Fixed Costs, Program Operations, and Other Adjustments | [0] | (136) | -136 | 0 | -878 | 0 |
| - Natural Hazard Science for Disaster Response: Expand Use of Streamgages (Flood Inundation Mapping and RGDs) | [3,260] | 2,560 | -700 | +500 | 0 | 0 |
| – National Groundwater Monitoring Network | [3,929] | 1,729 | -2,200 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Federal Priority Streamgage Network | [24,675] | 24,675 | 0 | 0 | +40 | +40 |
| – U.S.-Canada Transboundary Streamgages (Unuk River) | [160] | 0 | -160 | 0 | -40 | -40 |
| – Streamgages - Capital Costs | [0] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1,500 |
| – HQ Technical Support | [0] | 722 | +722 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Research and Development to Advance Water Science (formerly National Research Program) | [2,467] | 927 | -1,540 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooperative Matching Funds (CMF) | [30,299] | 29,799 | -500 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – Tribes - Indian Water Rights Settlements (CMF) | [1,000] | 500 | -500 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program | 72,673 | 68,159 | -4,514 | +500 | -878 | +1,500 |
| Total Water Resources (includes all Water Resources programs) | 214,754 | 173,042 | -41,712 | -4,000 | -1,565 | +2,800 |
| USGS TOTAL (includes all USGS programs) | 1,085,167 | 922,168 | -162,999 | -46,245 | 0 | +63,290 |
Table showing the President’s Budget Request for the 2020 appropriations process. House and Senate Marks, as well as the Enacted, will be added when each are passed.
For more information on the entire 2018 budget process for the WMA, please use this reference document.
Funding History
Below, a five-year funding history has been provided for the major GWSIP activities:
- The USGS streamgaging network (broken out between Federal Priority Streamgages Base Funds and Cooperative Matching Funds)
- The Next-Generation Water Observing System
- Transboundary Streamgages on the U.S.-Canadian Border
- The National Groundwater Monitoring Network
For more information on these GWSIP activities, please use the links provided above.
| GWSIP Funding (dollars in millions) | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| TOTAL GWSIP Funding | 71.5 | 72.7 | 74.2 | 82.7 | 84.2 |
| USGS Streamgaging Network - Federal Priority Streamgages Base Funds | 24.7 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 24.7 | 24.7 |
| USGS Groundwater and Streamgaging Networks - Cooperative Matching Funds (CMF) | 26.4 | 29.8 | 29.8 | 29.8 | 30.2 |
| Next Generation Water Observing System | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| U.S.-Canada Transboundary Streamgages (Unuk and Other Rivers) | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGWMN) | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| Other GWSIP Activities | 17.0 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 15.3 |