WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Budget cuts may force the shutdown of a widely used tide and weather monitoring system at more than 10 Delaware River and Bay sites.
The News Journal reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posted the shutdown notice Thursday.
Data from the monitoring sites is an important tool for commercial shipping, boaters and fishers, as well as for coastal communities and residents threatened by storms and flooding.
Pennsylvania had been paying the maintenance costs for the system but cut its funding by half in 2011 and eliminated its allocation last year. NOAA manages the sites but doesn't cover the cost of maintenance.
NOAA officials say they will try to operate the network of monitoring sites until Sept. 1, while searching for new maintenance money. But a shutdown could follow.
