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Gregory Granato

Gregory Granato is a Hydrologist in the USGS New England Water Science Center.

His research focuses on developing hydrologic software to provide actionable information for environmental decisionmakers. Gregory has worked with the USGS on projects covering all aspects of hydrology since 1992. Before that time he was an aerospace engineer working on the design of the Space Station water and waste treatment systems.

Software (currently supported):

SELDM Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model

KTRLine Kendall-Theil Robust Line

Streamflow software

Highway-Runoff Database

Patents:

Automated Groundwater Monitoring System and Method U.S. Patent 6,021,664 

Automated self-calibrating water quality monitoring sensor housing assembly U.S. Patent 6,936,156

Publications:

USGS NTCenter Class:

H1843 - Stormwater Runoff Quality Analysis with SELDM Developed and taught this class 2013-present

National Webinars:

NASEM TRB Approaches for Determining and Complying with TMDL Requirements Related to Roadway Stormwater Runoff

Water Research Foundation Integrated Stormwater Management for Highway and Transportation Sector (2017)

NASEM TRB Use and Implementation of the Federal Highway Administration Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model

Other research activities:

NASEM TRB Standing Committees

AKD50 Standing Committee on Hydrology, Hydraulics and Stormwater

NASEM National Cooperative Highway Research Program Research Panels

NCHRP 25-25 Enhancing the International Stormwater BMP Database

NCHRP 25-31 Improving Water Quality in Ultra-Urban Areas

NCHRP 25-32 Measuring and Removing Dissolved Metals from Storm Water

NCHRP 25-40 Long-Term Performance and Life-Cycle Costs of Stormwater BMPs

NCHRP 25-53 Approaches for Determining and Complying with TMDL Requirements

ASCE Outstanding Reviewer Prize: Reston, 2015

Science and Products

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Photograph of bridge-deck scuppers draining into the Charles River on State Route 2A in Boston

Transportation-Related Water Projects in New England

The New England Water Science Center collects data and does interpretive studies on hydrology, hydraulics, and water quality in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in New England and other states.
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New England Water Science Center
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Transportation-Related Water Projects in New England

The New England Water Science Center collects data and does interpretive studies on hydrology, hydraulics, and water quality in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration and State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in New England and other states.
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highway

Transportation-Related Water Projects

The USGS has a long history of cooperative investigations with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and state highway agencies to provide data and information to address various issues related to water resources and the Nation’s transportation infrastructure. These issues cover a wide spectrum and include items such as regional flow statistics, flood documentation, regional stream...
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Water Resources
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Transportation-Related Water Projects

The USGS has a long history of cooperative investigations with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and state highway agencies to provide data and information to address various issues related to water resources and the Nation’s transportation infrastructure. These issues cover a wide spectrum and include items such as regional flow statistics, flood documentation, regional stream...
Learn More
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USGS

SELDM: Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model - Project page

Note: SELDM is now on version 1.1.0.
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New England Water Science Center
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SELDM: Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model - Project page

Note: SELDM is now on version 1.1.0.
Learn More
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USGS

Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) Transportation Research Board Presentation

Note: SELDM is now on version 1.0.3 Please use the new version on the software support page here
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New England Water Science Center
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Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) Transportation Research Board Presentation

Note: SELDM is now on version 1.0.3 Please use the new version on the software support page here
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USGS

National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS)

Knowledge of the characteristics of highway runoff (concentrations and loads of constituents and the physical and chemical processes that produce this runoff) is important for decisionmakers, planners, and highway engineers to assess and mitigate possible adverse impacts of highway runoff on the Nation's receiving waters. This project was done by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation...
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New England Water Science Center
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National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS)

Knowledge of the characteristics of highway runoff (concentrations and loads of constituents and the physical and chemical processes that produce this runoff) is important for decisionmakers, planners, and highway engineers to assess and mitigate possible adverse impacts of highway runoff on the Nation's receiving waters. This project was done by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation...
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USGS

FHWA 1990 "Driscoll" Model Pollutant Loadings and Impacts from Highway Stormwater Runoff

Goto the project web page SELDM.html
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New England Water Science Center
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FHWA 1990 "Driscoll" Model Pollutant Loadings and Impacts from Highway Stormwater Runoff

Goto the project web page SELDM.html
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Application of the North Carolina Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) to Assess Potential Impacts of Highway Runoff

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published a new national stormwater quality model called the Stochastic Empirical Loading Dilution Model (SELDM; Granato, 2013). The model is optimized for roadway projects but in theory can be applied to a broad range of development types. SELDM is a statistically-based empirical model pr
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South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Model archive for Assessing long-term annual yields of highway and urban runoff in selected areas of California with the Stochastic Empirical Loading Dilution Model (SELDM)

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permitees including the California Department of Transportation need information about potential loads and yields (loads per unit area) of constituents of concern in stormwater runoff. These entities also need information about the potential effectiveness of stormwater best management practices (BMPs) used to mitigate the effects of runoff. This informat
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New England Water Science Center

Statistics for simulating structural stormwater runoff best management practices (BMPs) with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

This data release documents statistics for simulating structural stormwater runoff best management practices (BMPs) with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)(Granato, 2013). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed SELDM and the statistics documented in this report in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to indicate the risk for stormwater flows, con
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New England Water Science Center, New England Water Science Center

Basin characteristics and point locations of road crossings in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island for highway-runoff mitigation analyses using the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model

This data release documents the location of intersections between roads and streams, referred to as road crossings, and associated basin characteristics to support highway-runoff mitigation analyses using the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM, Granato, 2013) in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The data set of road crossings was generated from the intersections of
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New England Water Science Center

Model archive for analysis of the effects of impervious cover on receiving-water quality with the Stochastic Empirical Loading Dilution Model (SELDM)

Impervious runoff-discharge to receiving streams is widely recognized as one of the leading factors contributing to ecological degradation in such streams. Although there are many factors that contribute to ecological degradation with increasing development adverse effects caused by runoff quality is widely recognized as a contributing factor. The objective of this study was to simulate the flows
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New England Water Science Center, New England Water Science Center

Assessing Water Quality from Highway Runoff at Selected Sites in North Carolina with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published a new national stormwater quality model called the Stochastic Empirical Loading Dilution Model (SELDM). The model is optimized for roadway projects but in theory can be applied to a broad range of development types. SELDM is a statistically-based empirical model pre-populated w
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South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC)

Highway-Runoff Database (HRDB) Version 1.0.0b

The Highway-Runoff Database (HRDB) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to provide planning-level information for decision makers, planners, and highway engineers to assess and mitigate possible adverse effects of highway runoff on the Nation's receiving waters. The HRDB was assembled by using a Microsoft Access database
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New England Water Science Center

Highway-Runoff Database (HRDB) Version 1.0.0b

The Highway-Runoff Database (HRDB) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to provide planning-level information for decision makers, planners, and highway engineers to assess and mitigate possible adverse effects of highway runoff on the Nation's receiving waters. The HRDB was assembled by using a Microsoft Access database
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New England Water Science Center

Streamflow statistics calculated from daily mean streamflow data collected during water years 19012015 for selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages

In 2016, non-interpretive streamflow statistics were compiled for streamgages located throughout the Nation and stored in the StreamStatsDB database for use with StreamStats and other applications. Two previously published USGS computer programs that were designed to help calculate streamflow statistics were updated to better support StreamStats as part of this effort. These programs are named GNW
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Water Resources
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Approaches for assessing long-term annual yields of highway and urban runoff in selected areas of California with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

The California Department of Transportation, commonly known as CalTrans, and other municipal separate storm sewer system permittees in California as well as other State departments of transportation nationwide need information about potential loads and yields (loads per unit area) of constituents of concern in stormwater runoff and discharges from stormwater best management practices (BMPs). Altho
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

Statistical methods for simulating structural stormwater runoff best management practices (BMPs) with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

This report documents statistics for simulating structural stormwater runoff best management practices (BMPs) with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM). The U.S. Geological Survey developed SELDM and the statistics documented in this report in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration to indicate the risk for stormwater flows, concentrations, and loads to exceed us
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

Comparison of SELDM simulated total-phosphorus concentrations with ecological impervious-area criteria

Ecological studies indicate that impervious cover (IC) greater than approximately 5%–20% may have adverse effects on receiving-stream ecology. It is difficult to separate the effects of runoff quality from other effects of urbanization on receiving streams. This study presents the results of a numerical experiment to assess the effects of increasing IC on water quality using the Stochastic Empiric
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

Characterization of stormwater runoff from bridge decks in eastern Massachusetts, 2014–16

The quality of stormwater runoff from bridge decks (hereafter referred to as “bridge-deck runoff”) was characterized in a field study from August 2014 through August 2016 in which concentrations of suspended sediment (SS) and total nutrients were monitored. These new data were collected to supplement existing highway-runoff data collected in Massachusetts which were deficient in bridge-deck runoff
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

Assessing potential effects of highway and urban runoff on receiving streams in total maximum daily load watersheds in Oregon using the stochastic empirical loading and dilution model

The Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration to simulate stormwater quality. To assess the effects of runoff, SELDM uses a stochastic mass-balance approach to estimate combinations of pre-storm streamflow, stormflow, highway runoff, event mean concentrations (EMCs) and stormwate
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Water Resources, Oregon Water Science Center, New England Water Science Center

Assessing water quality from highway runoff at selected sites in North Carolina with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM)

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) entered into a cooperative agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to develop a North Carolina-enhanced variation of the national Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) with available North Carolina-specific streamflow and water-quality data and to demonstrate use of the model by documenting selected simulat
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Water Resources, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), New England Water Science Center

Simulating runoff quality with the highway-runoff database and the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model

Stormwater practitioners need quantitative information about the quality and volume of highway runoff to assess and mitigate potential adverse effects of runoff on the Nation’s receiving waters. The U.S. Geological Survey developed the Highway Runoff Database (HRDB) in cooperation with the FHWA to provide practice-ready information to meet these information needs on the local or national scale. Th
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

User guide for the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MA SYE—version 2.0) computer program

This report is a user guide for the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MA SYE) computer program (version 2.0). The MA SYE was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to provide a planning-level decision-support tool designed to help decision makers estimate daily mean streamflows and selected streamflow statistics
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

Methods used to estimate daily streamflow and water availability in the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator version 2.0

The Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator is a decision support tool that provides estimates of daily unaltered streamflow, water-use-adjusted streamflow, and water availability for ungaged, user-defined basins in Massachusetts. Daily streamflow at the ungaged site is estimated for unaltered (no water use) and water-use scenarios. The procedure for estimating streamflow was developed previousl
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

User guide for the Connecticut Streamflow and Sustainable Water Use Estimator (CT SSWUE—version 1.0) computer program

This report is a user guide for the Connecticut Streamflow and Sustainable Water Use Estimator (CT SSWUE) computer program (version 1.0). The CT SSWUE was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to provide a planning-level decision-support tool designed to help decision makers estimate daily mean streamflows and
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

The Connecticut Streamflow and Sustainable Water Use Estimator—A decision-support tool to estimate water availability at ungaged stream locations in Connecticut

Freshwater streams in Connecticut are subject to many competing demands, including public water supply; agricultural, commercial, and industrial water use; and ecosystem and habitat needs. In recent years, drought has further stressed Connecticut’s water resources. To sustainably allocate and manage water resources among these competing uses, Federal, State, and local water-resource managers requi
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Water Resources, New England Water Science Center

Assessing roadway contributions to stormwater flows, concentrations, and loads with the StreamStats application

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and other state departments of transportation need quantitative information about the percentages of different land cover categories above any given stream crossing in the state to assess and address roadway contributions to water-quality impairments and resulting total maximum daily loads. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with ODOT and the
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Water Resources, Oregon Water Science Center

Pre-USGS Publications

Granato, G.E., Church, P.E., and Stone V.J., 1995, Mobilization of Major and Trace Constituents of Highway Runoff in Groundwater Potentially Caused by Deicing-Chemical Migration, Transportation Research Record 1483: Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington D.C., p. 92-104
Church, P.E., and Granato, G.E., 1996, Bias in groundwater data caused by well-bore flow in long-screen wells: Groundwater, Vol. 34, No. 2, p. 262-273. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1996.tb01886.x
Granato, G.E., 1996, Deicing chemicals as a source of constituents in highway runoff: Transportation Research Record 1533, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington D.C., p. 50-58. https://doi.org/10.3141/1533-08
Bank, F.G., Cazenas P.A., Cutshall, C.D., Granato, G.E., Iyer B., Jongedyk, H., Palumbo, V.J., Prendergast G., Salter, J., Storey B., Young, G.K., 1997, Water Quality and Hydrology: in Environmental Research Needs in Transportation, Transportation Research Circular 469, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington D.C. p. 73-80.
Granato, G.E., and Smith, K.P., 1999, Robowell An automated process for monitoring groundwater quality using established sampling protocols. Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation, v. 19, no. 4, p. 81-89. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6592.1999.tb00243.x
Buckler, D.R., and Granato, G.E., 1999, Assessing biological effects from highway-runoff constituents: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 99-240, 45 p. https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1999/ofr99-240/
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Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) software archive

The Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Project Delivery and Environmental Review to transform complex scientific data into meaningful information about the risk of adverse effects of runoff on receiving waters, the potential need for mitigation measures,
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New England Water Science Center

Best Management Practices Statistical Estimator (BMPSE) Version 1.2.0

The Best Management Practices Statistical Estimator (BMPSE) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Project Delivery and Environmental Review to provide planning-level information about the performance of structural best management practices for decision makers, planners, and highway engineers to assess and mitigat
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New England Water Science Center

InterpretSELDM version 1.0 The Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) output interpreter

The InterpretSELDM program is a graphical post processor designed to facilitate analysis and presentation of stormwater modeling results from the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM), which is a stormwater model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. SELDM simulates flows, concentrations, and loads in stormflows from upstr
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New England Water Science Center

Highway-Runoff Database (HRDB) Version 1.1

The Highway-Runoff Database (HRDB) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Project Delivery and Environmental Review to provide planning-level information for decision makers, planners, and highway engineers to assess and mitigate possible adverse effects of highway runoff on the Nation's receiving waters (Granato
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New England Water Science Center

Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MASYE) application software (version 2.0)

This software release provides the database application that runs the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MA SYE) computer program (version 2.0). The MA SYE was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, to provide a planning-level decision-support tool designed to help decision makers estimate daily mean streamflow
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New England Water Science Center, New England Water Science Center

Connecticut Streamflow and Sustainable Water Use Estimator (CTSSWUE Version 1.0) application software

This software release provides the database application that runs the Connecticut Streamflow and Sustainable Water Use Estimator (CT SSWUE) computer program (version 1.0). The CT SSWUE was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, to provide a planning-level decision-support tool designed to help decision makers
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New England Water Science Center

Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MASYE) application software (version 2.0)

This software release provides the database application that runs the Massachusetts Sustainable-Yield Estimator (MA SYE) computer program (version 2.0).

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New England Water Science Center

Connecticut Streamflow and Sustainable Water Use Estimator (CTSSWUE Version 1.0) application software

This software release provides the database application that runs the Connecticut Streamflow and Sustainable Water Use Estimator (CT SSWUE) computer program (version 1.0).

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New England Water Science Center

HyDroDSS: Hydrologic Drought Decision Support System - Software page

The HyDroDSS is designed to provide water managers with risk-based information for balancing water-supply needs and aquatic-habitat protection goals to mitigate potential effects of hydrologic drought.

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New England Water Science Center, New England Water Science Center

SELDM: Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model - Software page

Overview

The Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) is designed to transform complex scientific data into meaningful information about the risk of adverse effects of runoff on receiving waters, the potential need for mitigation measures, and the potential effectiveness of such management measures for reducing these risks.

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New England Water Science Center, Oregon Water Science Center

HRDB: Highway Runoff DataBase - Software page

Overview

The highway-runoff database (HRDB) was developed to serve as a data warehouse for current and future highway-runoff data sets. The database can be used by transportation agencies and researchers as a data warehouse to document information about a data set, monitoring site(s), highway-runoff data (including precipitation, runoff, and event mean concentrations).

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New England Water Science Center

SWQDM: Surface Water Quality Data Miner - Software page

Overview

The SWQDM database application was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration for use in the analysis of regional and national hydrologic data sets. The surface-water quality data miner (SWQDM) database application was developed to coordinate use of NWIS Web, NWiz, and the Kendall-Theil Robust Line analysis software.

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New England Water Science Center, New England Water Science Center
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New publication by New England WSC Staff

Gregory Granato of the NEWSC and Susan Jones of the Federal Highway Administration recently published an article in the National Academies of Sciences...

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