Jeff,
Wouldn't hold your breath. Patapsco and Susky are pulled to protect them from ice flows. Now funding is in jeopardy. Hopefully they get it worked out. Pretty useful to call before heading out to get real time conditions. Call the Patapsco a ton when fishing the Upper Bay.
On another note going to give the flats a try in the morning to check on the boat and conditions.
SpinSheet readers have been following the "smart buoys," part of the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS), for several years. Through the website and 800 number, sailors have been able to gauge water and air temperature, wind speed, salinity, and turbidity among other functions, such as hearing the rich history of the area and how it may have looked to Captain John Smith in the 1600s via cell phone, at several yellow smart buoys on the Bay.
Now, CBIBS is in danger of being decommissioned due to federal budget constraints.
The continuing resolution passed on March 18th eliminated funding for CBIBS. Supporters of the program believe that NOAA plans to suspend redeployment of the three most northern buoys that were pulled for the winter (Susquehanna, Patapsco, and upper Potomac) and suspend deployment of a 10th buoy at the mouth of the Bay. Unless NOAA Administrator Lubchenco reallocates funding for fiscal 2011, supporters believe NOAA will remove the remaining six observational buoys currently in the water.
In the coming weeks, Dr. Lubchenco will be communicating with both the House and Senate regarding NOAA's budget and operations. Supporters of CBIBS are hopeful that upon receipt of letters, Members of Congress will ask Dr. Lubchenco to keep the CBIBS system operating, so it is very important to send letters.
If you are interested in writing e-mails to your members of congress to let them know that you depend upon CBIBS and that you want Administrator Lubchenco to continue operating the system, here is a letter template and a directory of members of the house and congress in districts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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