Gregory Granato is a hydrologist whose 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's water and waste treatment systems.
Software (currently supported):
Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM) Report on-line Software support page
KTRLine: Kendall-Theil Robust Line Report on-line Software support page
Streamflow data mining and analysis software (GNWISQ, MkPP, SREF, QSTATS, and MkDF) Report on line Software support page
Highway-Runoff Database Report on line Software support page
Hydrologic Drought Decision Support System (HyDroDSS) Report and software on-line
Patents:
Granato, G.E. and Smith, K.P., 2000, Automated Groundwater Monitoring System and Method: Washington D.C., U.S. Government Patent and Trademark Office, United States Patent 6,021,664, 31 p. Available on-line
Smith, K.P. and Granato; G.E., 2005, Automated self-calibrating water quality monitoring sensor housing assembly: Washington D.C., U.S. Government Patent and Trademark Office, United States Patent 6,936,156, 9 p. Available on-line
Publications:
U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods Reports:
Granato, G.E., 2013, Stochastic empirical loading and dilution model (SELDM) version 1.0.0: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 4, chap. C3, 112 p., CD–ROM. (Also available at .) Report On-Line Note: SELDM is now on version 1.0.1 Please use the new version on the software support page here: Software Support Page
Granato, G.E., 2006, Kendall-Theil Robust Line (KTRLine--version 1.0)—A visual basic program for calculating and graphing robust nonparametric estimates of linear-regression coefficients between two continuous variables: Techniques and Methods of the U.S. Geological Survey, book 4, chap. A7, 31 p. Report On-Line Software On-Line Software Support Page
Kiang, Julie E., Flynn, Kate, Hummel, Paul, Zhai, Tong, and Granato, G.E., 2017, SWToolbox: A Surface Water Toolbox for Statistical Analysis of Streamflow Time Series: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 4, chap. A11
Journal Articles:
Granato, G.E., and Jones, S.C., 2019, Simulating runoff quality with the Highway Runoff Database and the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model: Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 7 p. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118822821
Stonewall, A.J., Granato, G.E., and Haluska, T.L., 2018, Assessing roadway contributions to stormwater flows, concentrations and loads by using the StreamStats application: Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 9 p. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118758679
Granato, G.E., and Jones, S.C., 2017, Estimating Total Maximum Daily Loads with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model: Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2638, p. 104-112. https://doi.org/10.3141/2638-12
Granato, G.E., and Jones, S.C., 2014, Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model for analysis of flows, concentrations, and loads of highway runoff constituents: Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2436, p. 139-147. http://doi.org/10.3141/2436-14
Eng, K., Kiang, J.E., Chen, Y.-Y., Carlisle, D.M. and Granato, G.E., 2011, Causes of systematic over- or underestimation of low streamflows by use of index-streamgage approaches in the United States: Hydrological Processes, v. 25, pp. 2211–2220 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7976
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. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6592.1999.tb00243.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
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. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1996.tb01886.x
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.
and 41 other USGS Publications (Scholar) (USGS Pubs warehouse)...
USGS National Training Center Classes:
H1843 - Stormwater Runoff Quality Analysis with the Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model Developed and taught this class in MA(2013), DC(2014), OR (2014), CO (2015), TX (2016), CA(2017), NV (2017), and OR (2018).
National Webinars:
Water Research Foundation Integrated Stormwater Management for Highway and Transportation Sector (2017)
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board Use and Implementation of the Federal Highway Administration Stochastic Empirical Loading and Dilution Model (SELDM): Oregon and Massachusetts
Other research activities:
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Transportation Research Board Standing Committees
AFB 60 Standing Committee on Hydrology, Hydraulics and Water Quality, Full Member
AFB 65 Standing Committee on Stormwater, Full Member
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; National Cooperative Highway Research Program Research Panels
Project NCHRP 25-25 Research for the AASHTO Committee on Environment and Sustainability, Task 119 and 120 Enhancing the International Stormwater BMP Database to Serve as a Highway Specific BMP Database
Project NCHRP 25-31 Guidelines for Evaluating and Selecting Modifications to Existing Roadway Drainage Infrastructure to Improve Water Quality in Ultra-Urban Areas
Project NCHRP 25-32 Measuring and Removing Dissolved Metals from Storm Water in Highly Urbanized Areas
Project NCHRP 25-40 Long-Term Performance and Life-Cycle Costs of Stormwater Best Management Practices
Project NCHRP 25-53 Approaches for Determining and Complying with TMDL Requirements Related to Roadway Stormwater Runoff
American Society of Civil Engineers Outstanding Reviewer Prize: Reston, 2015 (Journal of Environmental Engineering)
A National highway and urban runoff waterquality metadatabase was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration as part of the National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS). The database was designed to catalog available literature and to document results of the...
Granato, Gregory E.; Tessler, Steven Decision makers need viable methods for the interpretation of local, regional, and national-highway runoff and urban-stormwater data including flows, concentrations and loads of chemical constituents and sediment, potential effects on receiving waters, and the potential effectiveness of various best management practices (BMPs). Valid (useful for...
Tasker, Gary D.; Granato, Gregory E. Spatial data are important for interpretation of water-quality information on a regional or national scale. Geographic information systems (GIS) facilitate interpretation and integration of spatial data. The geographic information and data compiled for the conterminous United States during the National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and...
Smieszek, Tomas W.; Granato, Gregory E. A computer application called Chemical Help was developed to facilitate review of reports for the National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS). The application provides a tool to quickly find a proper classification for any constituent in the NDAMS review sheets. Chemical Help contents include the name of...
Granato, Gregory E.; Driskell, Timothy R.; Nunes, Catherine Trace elements, which are regulated for aquatic life protection, are a primary concern in highway- and urban-runoff studies because stormwater runoff may transport these constituents from the land surface to receiving waters. Many of these trace elements are essential for biological activity and become detrimental only when geologic or...
Breault, Robert F.; Granato, Gregory E.
Increased emphasis on evaluation of nonpoint-source pollution has intensified the need for techniques that can be used to discern the toxicological effects of complex chemical mixtures. In response, the use of biological assessment techniques is receiving increased regulatory emphasis. When applied with documented habitat assessment and chemical...
Buckler, Denny R.; Granato, Gregory E. Discrete or composite samples of highway runoff may not adequately represent in-storm water-quality fluctuations because continuous records of water stage, specific conductance, pH, and temperature of the runoff indicate that these properties fluctuate substantially during a storm. Continuous records of water-quality properties can be used to...
Granato, Gregory E.; Smith, Kirk P. A readily accessible archive of information that is valid, current, and technically defensible is needed to make informed highway-planning, design, and management decisions. The National Highway Runoff Water-Quality Data and Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS) is a cataloging and assessment of the documentation of information relevant to highway-runoff...
Dionne, Shannon G.; Granato, Gregory E.; Tana, Cameron K. Accurate and representative precipitation and stormwater-flow data are crucial for use of highway- or urban-runoff study results, either individually or in a regional or national synthesis of stormwater-runoff data. Equally important is information on the level of accuracy and representativeness of this precipitation and stormwaterflow data....
Church, Peter E.; Granato, Gregory E.; Owens, David W. A program designed for point location and calculation of error (PLACER) was developed as part of the Quality Assurance Program of the Federal Highway Administration/U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Data and Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS) review process. The program provides a standard method to derive study-site locations from site maps in...
Granato, Gregory E. The Federal Highway Administration and State transportation agencies have the responsibility of determining and minimizing the effects of highway runoff on water quality; therefore, they have been conducting an extensive program of water-quality monitoring and research during the last 25 years. The objectives and monitoring goals of highway runoff...
Granato, Gregory E.; Bank, Fred G.; Cazenas, Patricia A.
Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed and tested an automated ground-water monitoring system that measures and records values of selected water-quality properties and constituents using protocols approved for manual sampling. Prototypes using the automated process have demonstrated the ability to increase the quantity and...
Smith, Kirk P.; Granato, Gregory E.