Donald O Rosenberry
Donald Rosenberry is a Research Hydrologist for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Don is a research hydrologist with the Earth Surface Processes Division specializing in wetland hydrology, water budgets of lakes and wetlands, and hyporheic processes. Research is focused at the sediment-water interface with an emphasis on understanding processes that control exchanges between groundwater and surface water. Don also is the coordinator of the Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystem Project where scientists from USGS and academia work together to study physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, wetlands, and streams at a small-watershed scale. Don's interests in groundwater, surface water, and the dynamic sediment-water interface stem from his formative years at Bemidji State University (next to Lake Bemidji), the University of Minnesota (on the banks of the Mississippi River), and the University of Colorado (through which Boulder Creek flows).
Current Research Topics
- Ground-water surface-water exchange in hyporheic settings (CA, CO, MA, MN, PA)
- Significance of ground-water discharge to nutrient loading (MN, WA)
- Significance of ground water to water supply (CA, MN, NM)
- Relating geophysics and seepage along shoreline margins (NH, WA)
- Decadal-scale hydrology of lakes and wetlands (MT, ND, MN, NH)
Current Editorships
- Editorial Board, Hydrological Processes (2014-present)
Professional Experience
2007-present: USGS, Lead Scientist, Hydrogeology of lakes, wetlands, and streams
1985-2007: USGS, Staff research hydrologist, Hydrology of lakes and wetlands
1982-1985: USGS, Hydrologic technician
1981-1982: Continental Laboratories, Hydrocarbon well analyst, Billings, MT
Education and Certifications
University of Colorado, Boulder. Geography/Geomorphology, Ph.D. 2007
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Hydrogeology, M.S. 1985
Bemidji State University, Bemidji, MN. Geology/Geography, B.S. 1981
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Geophysical Union
Geological Society of America
Society of Wetland Scientists
Minnesota Ground Water Association
Honors and Awards
Keynote Address, Minnesota Ground Water Association annual conference (2003, 2009)
Keynote Address, Canadian Geophysical Union annual conference (2005)
Elected Fellow of Geological Society of America (2008)
Keynote Address, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality 21st Annual Water Quality Workshop, February 2011
Keynote Address, Alabama Department of Environmental Management 12th Annual Groundwater Conference, June 2012
Moos Family lecturer, Freshwater Society, June 2013
Meinzer Award, Geological Society of America Hydrogeology Division (2017)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 133
Use of hydraulic head to estimate volumetric gas content and ebullition flux in northern peatlands Use of hydraulic head to estimate volumetric gas content and ebullition flux in northern peatlands
Hydraulic head was overpressured at middepth in a 4.2‐m thick raised bog in the Glacial Lake Agassiz peatlands of northern Minnesota, and fluctuated in response to atmospheric pressure. Barometric efficiency (BE), determined by calculating ratios of change in hydraulic head to change in atmospheric pressure, ranged from 0.05 to 0.15 during July through November of both 1997 and 1998. The
Authors
Donald O. Rosenberry, Paul H. Glaser, Donald I. Siegel, Edwin P. Weeks
Characterization of lake water and ground water movement in the littoral zone of Williams Lake, a closed-basin lake in North central Minnesota Characterization of lake water and ground water movement in the littoral zone of Williams Lake, a closed-basin lake in North central Minnesota
Williams Lake, Minnesota is a closed‐basin lake that is a flow‐through system with respect to ground water. Ground‐water input represents half of the annual water input and most of the chemical input to the lake. Chemical budgets indicate that the lake is a sink for calcium, yet surficial sediments contain little calcium carbonate. Sediment pore‐water samplers (peepers) were used to...
Authors
P. F. Schuster, M.M. Reddy, J. W. LaBaugh, R.S. Parkhurst, D.O. Rosenberry, T. C. Winter, Ronald C. Antweiler, W.E. Dean
Evaporation determined by the energy-budget method for Mirror Lake, New Hampshire Evaporation determined by the energy-budget method for Mirror Lake, New Hampshire
Evaporation was determined by the energy-budget method for Mirror Lake during the open water periods of 1982-1987. For all years, evaporation rates were low in spring and fall and highest during the summer. However, the times of highest evaporation rates varied during the 6 yr. Evaporation reached maximum rates in July for three of the years, in June for two of the years, and in August...
Authors
T. C. Winter, D.C. Buso, D.O. Rosenberry, G.E. Likens, A.M. Sturrock, D.P. Mau
Hydrological, chemical, and biological characteristics of a prairie pothole wetland complex under highly variable climate conditions: The Cottonwood Lake area, east-central North Dakota Hydrological, chemical, and biological characteristics of a prairie pothole wetland complex under highly variable climate conditions: The Cottonwood Lake area, east-central North Dakota
Geologic deposits in the Cottonwood Lake area consist largely of silty, clayey glacial till that contains numerous fractures and small, randomly distributed sand and gravel deposits. The sand deposits can have a substantial effect on groundwater flow between wetlands in the area and can cause some to drain while others have relatively stable inflow. Direct precipitation and runoff from...
Authors
Thomas C. Winter, Donald O. Rosenberry, James W. LaBaugh, George A. Swanson, Ned H. Jr. Euliss, Bruce A. Hanson, David M. Mushet, Karen A. Poiani, W. Carter Johnson
Mid-Holocene hydrologic model of the Shingobee watershed, Minnesota Mid-Holocene hydrologic model of the Shingobee watershed, Minnesota
A hydrologifc model of the Shingobee Watershed in north-central Minnesota was developed to reconstruct mid-Holocene paleo-lake levels for Williams Lake, a surface-water body located in the southern portion of the watershed. Hydrologic parameters for the model were first estimated in a calibration exercise using a 9-yr historical record (1990-1998) of climatic and hydrologic stresses. The...
Authors
S.K. Filby, Sharon M. Locke, M.A. Person, T. C. Winter, D.O. Rosenberry, J.L. Nieber, W.J. Gutowski, E. Ito
Malformed frogs in Minnesota: An update Malformed frogs in Minnesota: An update
No abstract available.
Authors
Donald O. Rosenberry
Estimating methane production rates in bogs and landfills by deuterium enrichment of pore water Estimating methane production rates in bogs and landfills by deuterium enrichment of pore water
Raised bogs and municipal waste landfills harbor large populations of methanogens within their domed deposits of anoxic organic matter. Although the methane emissions from these sites have been estimated by various methods, limited data exist on the activity of the methanogens at depth. We therefore analyzed the stable isotopic signature of the pore waters in two raised bogs from...
Authors
D. I. Siegel, J. P. Chanton, P.H. Glaser, L.S. Chasar, D.O. Rosenberry
Water source to four U.S. wetlands: Implications for wetland management Water source to four U.S. wetlands: Implications for wetland management
Results of long-term field studies of wetlands in four different hydrogeologic and climatic settings in the United States indicate that each has considerably different sources of water, which affects their response to climate variability and land-use practices. A fen wetland in New Hampshire is supplied almost entirely by ground water that originates as seepage from Mirror Lake...
Authors
T. C. Winter, D.O. Rosenberry, D.C. Buso, D.A. Merk
Plants as indicators of focused ground water discharge to a northern Minnesota lake Plants as indicators of focused ground water discharge to a northern Minnesota lake
Determining the discharge of ground water to Shingobee Lake (66 ha), north-central Minnesota, is complicated by the presence of numerous springs situated adjacent to the lake and in the shallow portion of the lakebed. Springs first had to be located before these areas of more rapid discharge could be quantified. Two methods that rely on the distribution of aquatic plants are useful for...
Authors
D.O. Rosenberry, Robert G. Striegl, D.C. Hudson
The use of principal component analysis for interpreting ground water hydrographs The use of principal component analysis for interpreting ground water hydrographs
Principal component analysis was used to define patterns in water table hydrographs at four small, lake-watershed research sites in the United States. The analysis provided insights into (1) characteristics of ground water recharge in different parts of the watersheds; (2) the effect of seepage from lakes on water table fluctuations; and (3) the effect of differences in geologic...
Authors
T. C. Winter, S.E. Mallory, T.R. Allen, D.O. Rosenberry
Unsaturated‐zone wedge beneath a large, natural lake Unsaturated‐zone wedge beneath a large, natural lake
Lake Belle Taine (480 ha) in north central Minnesota receives on average 76,000 m3 d−1 of water from Little Sand Creek but has no outlet. Water seeps out of the lake, flows through glacial outwash, and discharges into three nearby lakes with stages 13–14 m lower than Belle Taine. Seepage‐meter data indicate water is seeping out of Belle Taine at velocities up to 263 cm d−1 . Hydraulic...
Authors
Donald O. Rosenberry
Hydrographs of lake stage, stream discharge, and hydraulic head in ground water for the Mirror Lake area, New Hampshire, 1979-1995 Hydrographs of lake stage, stream discharge, and hydraulic head in ground water for the Mirror Lake area, New Hampshire, 1979-1995
No abstract available.
Authors
T. C. Winter, D.C. Buso, R.S. Parkhurst, D.O. Rosenberry, M.L. Martinez
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 133
Use of hydraulic head to estimate volumetric gas content and ebullition flux in northern peatlands Use of hydraulic head to estimate volumetric gas content and ebullition flux in northern peatlands
Hydraulic head was overpressured at middepth in a 4.2‐m thick raised bog in the Glacial Lake Agassiz peatlands of northern Minnesota, and fluctuated in response to atmospheric pressure. Barometric efficiency (BE), determined by calculating ratios of change in hydraulic head to change in atmospheric pressure, ranged from 0.05 to 0.15 during July through November of both 1997 and 1998. The
Authors
Donald O. Rosenberry, Paul H. Glaser, Donald I. Siegel, Edwin P. Weeks
Characterization of lake water and ground water movement in the littoral zone of Williams Lake, a closed-basin lake in North central Minnesota Characterization of lake water and ground water movement in the littoral zone of Williams Lake, a closed-basin lake in North central Minnesota
Williams Lake, Minnesota is a closed‐basin lake that is a flow‐through system with respect to ground water. Ground‐water input represents half of the annual water input and most of the chemical input to the lake. Chemical budgets indicate that the lake is a sink for calcium, yet surficial sediments contain little calcium carbonate. Sediment pore‐water samplers (peepers) were used to...
Authors
P. F. Schuster, M.M. Reddy, J. W. LaBaugh, R.S. Parkhurst, D.O. Rosenberry, T. C. Winter, Ronald C. Antweiler, W.E. Dean
Evaporation determined by the energy-budget method for Mirror Lake, New Hampshire Evaporation determined by the energy-budget method for Mirror Lake, New Hampshire
Evaporation was determined by the energy-budget method for Mirror Lake during the open water periods of 1982-1987. For all years, evaporation rates were low in spring and fall and highest during the summer. However, the times of highest evaporation rates varied during the 6 yr. Evaporation reached maximum rates in July for three of the years, in June for two of the years, and in August...
Authors
T. C. Winter, D.C. Buso, D.O. Rosenberry, G.E. Likens, A.M. Sturrock, D.P. Mau
Hydrological, chemical, and biological characteristics of a prairie pothole wetland complex under highly variable climate conditions: The Cottonwood Lake area, east-central North Dakota Hydrological, chemical, and biological characteristics of a prairie pothole wetland complex under highly variable climate conditions: The Cottonwood Lake area, east-central North Dakota
Geologic deposits in the Cottonwood Lake area consist largely of silty, clayey glacial till that contains numerous fractures and small, randomly distributed sand and gravel deposits. The sand deposits can have a substantial effect on groundwater flow between wetlands in the area and can cause some to drain while others have relatively stable inflow. Direct precipitation and runoff from...
Authors
Thomas C. Winter, Donald O. Rosenberry, James W. LaBaugh, George A. Swanson, Ned H. Jr. Euliss, Bruce A. Hanson, David M. Mushet, Karen A. Poiani, W. Carter Johnson
Mid-Holocene hydrologic model of the Shingobee watershed, Minnesota Mid-Holocene hydrologic model of the Shingobee watershed, Minnesota
A hydrologifc model of the Shingobee Watershed in north-central Minnesota was developed to reconstruct mid-Holocene paleo-lake levels for Williams Lake, a surface-water body located in the southern portion of the watershed. Hydrologic parameters for the model were first estimated in a calibration exercise using a 9-yr historical record (1990-1998) of climatic and hydrologic stresses. The...
Authors
S.K. Filby, Sharon M. Locke, M.A. Person, T. C. Winter, D.O. Rosenberry, J.L. Nieber, W.J. Gutowski, E. Ito
Malformed frogs in Minnesota: An update Malformed frogs in Minnesota: An update
No abstract available.
Authors
Donald O. Rosenberry
Estimating methane production rates in bogs and landfills by deuterium enrichment of pore water Estimating methane production rates in bogs and landfills by deuterium enrichment of pore water
Raised bogs and municipal waste landfills harbor large populations of methanogens within their domed deposits of anoxic organic matter. Although the methane emissions from these sites have been estimated by various methods, limited data exist on the activity of the methanogens at depth. We therefore analyzed the stable isotopic signature of the pore waters in two raised bogs from...
Authors
D. I. Siegel, J. P. Chanton, P.H. Glaser, L.S. Chasar, D.O. Rosenberry
Water source to four U.S. wetlands: Implications for wetland management Water source to four U.S. wetlands: Implications for wetland management
Results of long-term field studies of wetlands in four different hydrogeologic and climatic settings in the United States indicate that each has considerably different sources of water, which affects their response to climate variability and land-use practices. A fen wetland in New Hampshire is supplied almost entirely by ground water that originates as seepage from Mirror Lake...
Authors
T. C. Winter, D.O. Rosenberry, D.C. Buso, D.A. Merk
Plants as indicators of focused ground water discharge to a northern Minnesota lake Plants as indicators of focused ground water discharge to a northern Minnesota lake
Determining the discharge of ground water to Shingobee Lake (66 ha), north-central Minnesota, is complicated by the presence of numerous springs situated adjacent to the lake and in the shallow portion of the lakebed. Springs first had to be located before these areas of more rapid discharge could be quantified. Two methods that rely on the distribution of aquatic plants are useful for...
Authors
D.O. Rosenberry, Robert G. Striegl, D.C. Hudson
The use of principal component analysis for interpreting ground water hydrographs The use of principal component analysis for interpreting ground water hydrographs
Principal component analysis was used to define patterns in water table hydrographs at four small, lake-watershed research sites in the United States. The analysis provided insights into (1) characteristics of ground water recharge in different parts of the watersheds; (2) the effect of seepage from lakes on water table fluctuations; and (3) the effect of differences in geologic...
Authors
T. C. Winter, S.E. Mallory, T.R. Allen, D.O. Rosenberry
Unsaturated‐zone wedge beneath a large, natural lake Unsaturated‐zone wedge beneath a large, natural lake
Lake Belle Taine (480 ha) in north central Minnesota receives on average 76,000 m3 d−1 of water from Little Sand Creek but has no outlet. Water seeps out of the lake, flows through glacial outwash, and discharges into three nearby lakes with stages 13–14 m lower than Belle Taine. Seepage‐meter data indicate water is seeping out of Belle Taine at velocities up to 263 cm d−1 . Hydraulic...
Authors
Donald O. Rosenberry
Hydrographs of lake stage, stream discharge, and hydraulic head in ground water for the Mirror Lake area, New Hampshire, 1979-1995 Hydrographs of lake stage, stream discharge, and hydraulic head in ground water for the Mirror Lake area, New Hampshire, 1979-1995
No abstract available.
Authors
T. C. Winter, D.C. Buso, R.S. Parkhurst, D.O. Rosenberry, M.L. Martinez
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government