The policies outlined in the article, "Federal cuts end collection of flood monitoring data," (June 20), do not make sense. The U.S. Geological Survey, with regard to the government's sequestration policy, decided to limit the data monitoring gauges of several stations within the rivers of Connecticut. The gauge at Latimer Brook, which flows into the Niantic Bay estuary, was one of the gauges removed for cost efficiency. The gauge cost was approximately $18,000 per year, however, the article mentioned that the cost was not the gauge cost, but rather the manpower to obtain the associated data.

Rather than removing the river gauge to save money, the more cost effective option would have been to allow the gauge site to remain active and provide local universities, colleges or even high school science students the opportunity to gather scientific data for research.

To assign the gauge to the responsibility of the state, university, or local facility would appear to be more fiscally prudent, while maintaining the continuation of obtaining necessary data to describe characteristics of the Niantic Bay estuary. To save the site for future educational research and documentation of the local parameters of the area would be more appropriate.