Laura DeCicco
Laura DeCicco is a Civil Engineer with the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.
Professional Experience
2019 - present, Upper Midwest Water Science Center (UMid WSC)
2018 - 2019, Integrated Information Dissemination Division (IIDD), Data Science Branch
2014 - 2018, Office of Water Information (OWI)
2010 - 2014, Center for Integrated Data Analytics (CIDA)
Education and Certifications
Professional Engineer, State of Wisconsin, 2011
(Formally Laura Kranendonk)
Post Doc, Oak Ridge National Lab, 2007-2009
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering - University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2006
M.S. Biomedical Engineering - University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2001
B.S. Mechanical Engineering - University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1999
Science and Products
Is it me or the Water Quality Portal? Providing real-time download reliability metrics to users
A dashboard demonstrating download reliability metrics for water quality data users
Bridging the learning gap in the R computing environment using Water-Quality Data
Educational opportunity to learn water-quality plotting techniques in R and add functionality to Water-Quality Graphs
A National Tool for Graphing and Synthesizing Continuous and Discrete Water-Quality Data
Provide synthesis of water quality data to better understand the Nation’s water resources
Evaluating chloride trends due to road-salt use and its impacts on water quality and aquatic organisms
Chloride, a key component of road salt, is soluble, highly mobile in water, and, at high concentrations, can be toxic to aquatic vegetation and wildlife. USGS scientists have been analyzing temporal, seasonal, and environmental trends in chloride concentrations across the U.S. to determine the effects that road salt may be having on water quality and aquatic organisms.
dataRetrieval dataRetrieval
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed an R package called dataRetrieval to help simplify the process of discovering and retrieving water quality sample data, streamflow, groundwater, and other data available from Federal hydrologic web services such as National Water Information Systems (NWIS), the EPA Water Quality Exchange (WQX) System, and the National Hydrologic Dataset via the...
Select optical signals from water samples collected on the Menomonee River, Underwood Creek, and Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility from 2017-2019, and time-series optical sensor and one-hour mean streamflow data from the Menomonee River 2017-2018 Select optical signals from water samples collected on the Menomonee River, Underwood Creek, and Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility from 2017-2019, and time-series optical sensor and one-hour mean streamflow data from the Menomonee River 2017-2018
5-day composite river water samples were collected from two sites: Menomonee River (U.S. Geological Survey station number 04087142) and Underwood Creek (U.S. Geological Survey station number 04087088) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 5-day composite wastewater (raw sewage) influent samples were also collected from the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility (U.S. Geological Survey station number...
HASP HASP
The Hydrologic Analysis Package (HASP) can retrieve groundwater level and groundwater quality data, aggregate these data, plot them, and generate basic statistics. One of the benefits of HASP is its ability to aggregate two time-series of data into one record and generate statistics and graphics on hat record. By merging two data sets together, users can view and manipulate a much longer...
Great Lakes tributary pharmaceutical water samples from water year 2018 Great Lakes tributary pharmaceutical water samples from water year 2018
This data release provides water chemistry results and quality assurance data for samples collected from Great Lakes tributaries in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and New York. In total, 158 chemicals were analyzed which are primarily pharmaceuticals. Between one and four water samples were collected at 37 sampling locations between November 2017 and July...
Optical signals of water for prediction of wastewater contamination, human-associated bacteria, and fecal indicator bacteria in surface water of Great Lake tributaries from 2011 to 2016 Optical signals of water for prediction of wastewater contamination, human-associated bacteria, and fecal indicator bacteria in surface water of Great Lake tributaries from 2011 to 2016
Data are from water samples collected from tributaries of the Great Lakes at three different drainage basin scales, including 1). watershed scale: 8 tributaries of the Great Lakes, 2). subwatershed scale: 5 locations from the greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, and 3). small scale: 213 storm sewers and open channel locations in three subwatersheds within the Great Lakes Basin including...
Chemistry of waters collected in the Wolf Creek and Buffalo Creek watersheds in West Virginia in 2016 Chemistry of waters collected in the Wolf Creek and Buffalo Creek watersheds in West Virginia in 2016
Water chemistry data for samples collected in 2016 in the Wolf Creek and Buffalo Creek watersheds in West Virginia. The dataset includes stream characteristics including flow and location information for sampling sites.
Filter Total Items: 24
Advancing an adaptable and practical framework to address water quality challenges in a changing world Advancing an adaptable and practical framework to address water quality challenges in a changing world
As water-quality challenges intensify, the widely used Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) method offers an adaptable and practical framework for global water-quality science and management.
Authors
Qian Zhang, Robert M. Hirsch, Laura DeCicco, Jennifer C. Murphy
Application of transcriptomics concentration-response modeling for prioritization of contaminants detected in tributaries of the North American Great Lakes Application of transcriptomics concentration-response modeling for prioritization of contaminants detected in tributaries of the North American Great Lakes
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, chemical monitoring and surveillance efforts have detected approximately 330 chemicals in surface water of Great Lakes tributaries. There were 140 chemicals for which no empirical toxicity data were available. The aim of this study was to generate transcriptomic points of departure (tPODs) for 10 of these compounds and demonstrate how...
Authors
Jenna Cavallin, Kendra Bush, Steven R. Corsi, Laura DeCicco, Kevin Flynn, Alex Kasparek, Monique Hazimi, Erin Maloney, Peter Schuman, Daniel Villeneuve
Derivation and characterization of environmental hazard concentrations for chemical prioritization: A case study in the Great Lakes tributaries Derivation and characterization of environmental hazard concentrations for chemical prioritization: A case study in the Great Lakes tributaries
Ongoing anthropogenic activities and analytical advancements yield continuously expanding lists of environmental contaminants. This represents a challenge to environmental managers, who must prioritize chemicals for management actions (e.g., restriction, regulation, remediation) but are often hindered by resource limitations. To help facilitate prioritization efforts, this study presents...
Authors
Erin M. Maloney, Steven R. Corsi, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Laura A. DeCicco, Michelle A. Nott, John R. Frisch, Neil W. Fuller, Austin K. Baldwin, Kimani Kimbrough, Michael Edwards, Stephanie L. Hummel, Natalia Vinas, Daniel L. Villeneuve
Reproducibility starts at the source: R, Python, and Julia Packages for retrieving USGS hydrologic data Reproducibility starts at the source: R, Python, and Julia Packages for retrieving USGS hydrologic data
Much of modern science takes place in a computational environment, and, increasingly, that environment is programmed using R, Python, or Julia. Furthermore, most scientific data now live on the cloud, so the first step in many workflows is to query a cloud database and load the response into a computational environment for further analysis. Thus, tools that facilitate programmatic data...
Authors
Timothy O. Hodson, Laura A. DeCicco, Jayaram Athreya Hariharan, Lee Stanish, Scott Black, J. S. Horsburgh
Changes in chemical occurrence, concentration, and bioactivity in the Colorado River before and after replacement of the Moab, Utah wastewater treatment plant Changes in chemical occurrence, concentration, and bioactivity in the Colorado River before and after replacement of the Moab, Utah wastewater treatment plant
Long-term (2010–19) water-quality monitoring on the Colorado River downstream from Moab Utah indicated the persistent presence of Bioactive Chemicals (BC), such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals. This stream reach near Canyonlands National Park provides critical habitat for federally endangered species. The Moab wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall discharges to the Colorado River...
Authors
William A. Battaglin, Paul M. Bradley, Rebbecca Weissinger, Brett R. Blackwell, Jenna E. Cavallin, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Laura A. DeCicco, Julie Kinsey
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications
Drinking-water quality is a rising concern in the United States (US), emphasizing the need to broadly assess exposures and potential health effects at the point-of-use. Drinking-water exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a national concern, however, there is limited information on PFAS in residential tapwater at the point-of-use, especially from private-wells. We...
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Matthew C. Morriss, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, Stephanie E. Gordon, Brianna Williams, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Daniel K. Jones, Laura A. DeCicco, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Tyler Wagner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center
toxEval 4.1 toxEval 4.1
The toxEval R-package includes a set of functions to analyze, visualize, and organize measured concentration data as it relates to https://www.epa.gov/comptox-tools/toxicity-forecasting-toxcast or other user-selected chemical-biological interaction benchmark data such as water quality criteria. The intent of these analyses is to develop a better understanding of the potential biological...
WRTDSplus: Extensions to the WRTDS method. WRTDSplus: Extensions to the WRTDS method.
For some sites and constituents the three dimensions of the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) model do not capture all the important aspects of water quality variability. For example, in some locations hysteresis or antecedent flow conditions are important influences on water quality concentration and loads. In other places, daily flow is less predictive than...
EGRET EGRET
An R-package for the analysis of long-term changes in water quality and streamflow, including the water-quality method Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS).
dataRetrieval dataRetrieval
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed an R package called dataRetrieval to help simplify the process of discovering and retrieving water quality sample data, streamflow, groundwater, and other data available from Federal hydrologic web services such as National Water Information Systems (NWIS), the EPA Water Quality Exchange (WQX) System, and the National Hydrologic Dataset via the...
HASP HASP
The Hydrologic Analysis Package (HASP) can retrieve groundwater level and groundwater quality data, aggregate these data, plot them, and generate basic statistics. One of the benefits of HASP is its ability to aggregate two time-series of data into one record and generate statistics and graphics on hat record. By merging two data sets together, users can view and manipulate a much longer...
wqReport wqReport
This is an R-package designed to create water-quality reports for either U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) wildlife refuge boundaries, or user-specified Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) boundaries (8 or 10 digit HUC services are available). Functions are included to take the user's geographical request, and find the sites that measure water-quality parameters, and retrieve that data. A...
Science and Products
Is it me or the Water Quality Portal? Providing real-time download reliability metrics to users
A dashboard demonstrating download reliability metrics for water quality data users
Bridging the learning gap in the R computing environment using Water-Quality Data
Educational opportunity to learn water-quality plotting techniques in R and add functionality to Water-Quality Graphs
A National Tool for Graphing and Synthesizing Continuous and Discrete Water-Quality Data
Provide synthesis of water quality data to better understand the Nation’s water resources
Evaluating chloride trends due to road-salt use and its impacts on water quality and aquatic organisms
Chloride, a key component of road salt, is soluble, highly mobile in water, and, at high concentrations, can be toxic to aquatic vegetation and wildlife. USGS scientists have been analyzing temporal, seasonal, and environmental trends in chloride concentrations across the U.S. to determine the effects that road salt may be having on water quality and aquatic organisms.
dataRetrieval dataRetrieval
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed an R package called dataRetrieval to help simplify the process of discovering and retrieving water quality sample data, streamflow, groundwater, and other data available from Federal hydrologic web services such as National Water Information Systems (NWIS), the EPA Water Quality Exchange (WQX) System, and the National Hydrologic Dataset via the...
Select optical signals from water samples collected on the Menomonee River, Underwood Creek, and Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility from 2017-2019, and time-series optical sensor and one-hour mean streamflow data from the Menomonee River 2017-2018 Select optical signals from water samples collected on the Menomonee River, Underwood Creek, and Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility from 2017-2019, and time-series optical sensor and one-hour mean streamflow data from the Menomonee River 2017-2018
5-day composite river water samples were collected from two sites: Menomonee River (U.S. Geological Survey station number 04087142) and Underwood Creek (U.S. Geological Survey station number 04087088) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 5-day composite wastewater (raw sewage) influent samples were also collected from the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility (U.S. Geological Survey station number...
HASP HASP
The Hydrologic Analysis Package (HASP) can retrieve groundwater level and groundwater quality data, aggregate these data, plot them, and generate basic statistics. One of the benefits of HASP is its ability to aggregate two time-series of data into one record and generate statistics and graphics on hat record. By merging two data sets together, users can view and manipulate a much longer...
Great Lakes tributary pharmaceutical water samples from water year 2018 Great Lakes tributary pharmaceutical water samples from water year 2018
This data release provides water chemistry results and quality assurance data for samples collected from Great Lakes tributaries in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and New York. In total, 158 chemicals were analyzed which are primarily pharmaceuticals. Between one and four water samples were collected at 37 sampling locations between November 2017 and July...
Optical signals of water for prediction of wastewater contamination, human-associated bacteria, and fecal indicator bacteria in surface water of Great Lake tributaries from 2011 to 2016 Optical signals of water for prediction of wastewater contamination, human-associated bacteria, and fecal indicator bacteria in surface water of Great Lake tributaries from 2011 to 2016
Data are from water samples collected from tributaries of the Great Lakes at three different drainage basin scales, including 1). watershed scale: 8 tributaries of the Great Lakes, 2). subwatershed scale: 5 locations from the greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin area, and 3). small scale: 213 storm sewers and open channel locations in three subwatersheds within the Great Lakes Basin including...
Chemistry of waters collected in the Wolf Creek and Buffalo Creek watersheds in West Virginia in 2016 Chemistry of waters collected in the Wolf Creek and Buffalo Creek watersheds in West Virginia in 2016
Water chemistry data for samples collected in 2016 in the Wolf Creek and Buffalo Creek watersheds in West Virginia. The dataset includes stream characteristics including flow and location information for sampling sites.
Filter Total Items: 24
Advancing an adaptable and practical framework to address water quality challenges in a changing world Advancing an adaptable and practical framework to address water quality challenges in a changing world
As water-quality challenges intensify, the widely used Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) method offers an adaptable and practical framework for global water-quality science and management.
Authors
Qian Zhang, Robert M. Hirsch, Laura DeCicco, Jennifer C. Murphy
Application of transcriptomics concentration-response modeling for prioritization of contaminants detected in tributaries of the North American Great Lakes Application of transcriptomics concentration-response modeling for prioritization of contaminants detected in tributaries of the North American Great Lakes
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, chemical monitoring and surveillance efforts have detected approximately 330 chemicals in surface water of Great Lakes tributaries. There were 140 chemicals for which no empirical toxicity data were available. The aim of this study was to generate transcriptomic points of departure (tPODs) for 10 of these compounds and demonstrate how...
Authors
Jenna Cavallin, Kendra Bush, Steven R. Corsi, Laura DeCicco, Kevin Flynn, Alex Kasparek, Monique Hazimi, Erin Maloney, Peter Schuman, Daniel Villeneuve
Derivation and characterization of environmental hazard concentrations for chemical prioritization: A case study in the Great Lakes tributaries Derivation and characterization of environmental hazard concentrations for chemical prioritization: A case study in the Great Lakes tributaries
Ongoing anthropogenic activities and analytical advancements yield continuously expanding lists of environmental contaminants. This represents a challenge to environmental managers, who must prioritize chemicals for management actions (e.g., restriction, regulation, remediation) but are often hindered by resource limitations. To help facilitate prioritization efforts, this study presents...
Authors
Erin M. Maloney, Steven R. Corsi, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Laura A. DeCicco, Michelle A. Nott, John R. Frisch, Neil W. Fuller, Austin K. Baldwin, Kimani Kimbrough, Michael Edwards, Stephanie L. Hummel, Natalia Vinas, Daniel L. Villeneuve
Reproducibility starts at the source: R, Python, and Julia Packages for retrieving USGS hydrologic data Reproducibility starts at the source: R, Python, and Julia Packages for retrieving USGS hydrologic data
Much of modern science takes place in a computational environment, and, increasingly, that environment is programmed using R, Python, or Julia. Furthermore, most scientific data now live on the cloud, so the first step in many workflows is to query a cloud database and load the response into a computational environment for further analysis. Thus, tools that facilitate programmatic data...
Authors
Timothy O. Hodson, Laura A. DeCicco, Jayaram Athreya Hariharan, Lee Stanish, Scott Black, J. S. Horsburgh
Changes in chemical occurrence, concentration, and bioactivity in the Colorado River before and after replacement of the Moab, Utah wastewater treatment plant Changes in chemical occurrence, concentration, and bioactivity in the Colorado River before and after replacement of the Moab, Utah wastewater treatment plant
Long-term (2010–19) water-quality monitoring on the Colorado River downstream from Moab Utah indicated the persistent presence of Bioactive Chemicals (BC), such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals. This stream reach near Canyonlands National Park provides critical habitat for federally endangered species. The Moab wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) outfall discharges to the Colorado River...
Authors
William A. Battaglin, Paul M. Bradley, Rebbecca Weissinger, Brett R. Blackwell, Jenna E. Cavallin, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Laura A. DeCicco, Julie Kinsey
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications
Drinking-water quality is a rising concern in the United States (US), emphasizing the need to broadly assess exposures and potential health effects at the point-of-use. Drinking-water exposures to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a national concern, however, there is limited information on PFAS in residential tapwater at the point-of-use, especially from private-wells. We...
Authors
Kelly L. Smalling, Kristin M. Romanok, Paul M. Bradley, Matthew C. Morriss, James L. Gray, Leslie K. Kanagy, Stephanie E. Gordon, Brianna Williams, Sara E. Breitmeyer, Daniel K. Jones, Laura A. DeCicco, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Tyler Wagner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center
toxEval 4.1 toxEval 4.1
The toxEval R-package includes a set of functions to analyze, visualize, and organize measured concentration data as it relates to https://www.epa.gov/comptox-tools/toxicity-forecasting-toxcast or other user-selected chemical-biological interaction benchmark data such as water quality criteria. The intent of these analyses is to develop a better understanding of the potential biological...
WRTDSplus: Extensions to the WRTDS method. WRTDSplus: Extensions to the WRTDS method.
For some sites and constituents the three dimensions of the Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) model do not capture all the important aspects of water quality variability. For example, in some locations hysteresis or antecedent flow conditions are important influences on water quality concentration and loads. In other places, daily flow is less predictive than...
EGRET EGRET
An R-package for the analysis of long-term changes in water quality and streamflow, including the water-quality method Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS).
dataRetrieval dataRetrieval
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed an R package called dataRetrieval to help simplify the process of discovering and retrieving water quality sample data, streamflow, groundwater, and other data available from Federal hydrologic web services such as National Water Information Systems (NWIS), the EPA Water Quality Exchange (WQX) System, and the National Hydrologic Dataset via the...
HASP HASP
The Hydrologic Analysis Package (HASP) can retrieve groundwater level and groundwater quality data, aggregate these data, plot them, and generate basic statistics. One of the benefits of HASP is its ability to aggregate two time-series of data into one record and generate statistics and graphics on hat record. By merging two data sets together, users can view and manipulate a much longer...
wqReport wqReport
This is an R-package designed to create water-quality reports for either U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) wildlife refuge boundaries, or user-specified Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) boundaries (8 or 10 digit HUC services are available). Functions are included to take the user's geographical request, and find the sites that measure water-quality parameters, and retrieve that data. A...