River agency concerned about flood forecasting

The future of flood-prone region’s river monitoring system is in question after a freeze on federal appropriations cut $2.4 million from the program’s funding.

Officials at a meeting of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission said the life- and property-saving benefits of the Susquehanna Flood Forecast Warning System far outweighs the costs, and urged Congress to restore its funding in the 2013 federal budget. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will cover the lost federal money in 2012, but concern remains over long-term funding for stream gauges.

Commissioners also approved water withdrawal permits natural gas drillers, which prompted an apparently organized outburst from angry protestors who oppose hydraulic fracturing in the basin.