Michael R. McHale
Intro
I began working for the U.S. Geological Survey in 1997. One of my primary research interests is long-term monitoring and trend analyses. This research involves collecting and analyzing long-term monitoring data to determine the effects of climate and land use change on water quality, water quantity and soil chemistry in minimally disturbed watersheds across the United States. I also conduct watershed research in the Catskill Mountains of New York which is the primary source of drinking water for New York City. My work in the Catskills during the last 2 decades has included the effects of agricultural best management practices on stream water quality, nutrient cycling, and sediment transport. Recently I have become involved in evaluating the effectiveness of green infrastructure in Buffalo, NY as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Education
- Ph.D., 1999, State University of New York, College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, Major: Forest Hydrology, Areas of Study: Biogeochemistry, Hydrology
- B.S., 1992, State University of New York at Cortland, Cortland, NY Major: Geology
Science and Products
Long-term Monitoring Water Quality in the Catskill Mountains of New York
Methods of soil resampling to monitor changes in the chemical concentrations of forest soils
Turbidity and suspended sediment in the upper Esopus Creek watershed, Ulster County, New York
Long-term soil monitoring at U.S. Geological Survey reference watersheds
Reflections on a vision for integrated research and monitoring after 15 years
A whole ecosystem approach to studying climate change in interior Alaska
U.S. Geological Survey Catskill/Delaware water-quality network: Water-quality report water year 2006
Quality-assurance data for routine water analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2003 through June 2005
Quality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2001 Through June 2003
Quality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2005 through June 2007
Effects of forest harvesting on ecosystem health in the headwaters of the New York City Water Supply, Catskill Mountains, New York
Factors controlling nitrogen release from two forested catchments with contrasting hydrochemical responses
Phosphorus Concentrations in Stream-Water and Reference Samples - An Assessment of Laboratory Comparability
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
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Long-term Monitoring Water Quality in the Catskill Mountains of New York
Summary The Long-Term Monitoring Network (LTM) is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor trends in surface water quality by nesting a few intensively-monitored stations within a network of more numerous but less frequently sampled stations. The intensively-monitored stations have provided monthly discharge and water-quality data at 6 locations across the country since - Data
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 33
Methods of soil resampling to monitor changes in the chemical concentrations of forest soils
Recent soils research has shown that important chemical soil characteristics can change in less than a decade, often the result of broad environmental changes. Repeated sampling to monitor these changes in forest soils is a relatively new practice that is not well documented in the literature and has only recently been broadly embraced by the scientific community. The objective of this protocol isAuthorsGregory B. Lawrence, Ivan J. Fernandez, Paul W. Hazlett, Scott W. Bailey, Donald S. Ross, Thomas R. Villars, Angelica Quintana, Rock Ouimet, Michael McHale, Chris E. Johnson, Russell D. Briggs, Robert A. Colter, Jason Siemion, Olivia L. Bartlett, Olga Vargas, Michael R. Antidormi, Mary Margaret KoppersTurbidity and suspended sediment in the upper Esopus Creek watershed, Ulster County, New York
Suspended-sediment concentrations (SSCs) and turbidity were measured for 2 to 3 years at 14 monitoring sites throughout the upper Esopus Creek watershed in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. The upper Esopus Creek watershed is part of the New York City water-supply system that supplies water to more than 9 million people every day. Turbidity, caused primarily by high concentrations of inorgAuthorsMichael R. McHale, Jason SiemionLong-term soil monitoring at U.S. Geological Survey reference watersheds
Monitoring the environment by making repeated measurements through time is essential to evaluate and track the health of ecosystems (fig. 1). Long-term datasets produced by such monitoring are indispensable for evaluating the effectiveness of environmental legislation and for designing mitigation strategies to address environmental changes in an era when human activities are altering the environmeAuthorsMichael R. McHale, Jason Siemion, Gregory B. Lawrence, Alisa MastReflections on a vision for integrated research and monitoring after 15 years
In May of 1998, Owen Bricker and his co-author Michael Ruggiero introduced a conceptual design for integrating the Nation’s environmental research and monitoring programs. The Framework for Integrated Monitoring and Related Research was an organizing strategy for relating data collected by various programs, at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and by multiple science disciplines to solve complAuthorsPeter S. Murdoch, Michael McHale, Jill BaronA whole ecosystem approach to studying climate change in interior Alaska
Yukon River Basin Principal Investigators Workshop; Portland, Oregon, 18-20 January 2011; High latitudes are known to be particularly susceptible to climate warming, leading to an emphasis of field and modeling research on arctic regions. Subarctic and boreal regions such as the Yukon River Basin (YRB) of interior Alaska and western Canada are less well studied, although they encompass large areasAuthorsSusan Riggins, Robert G. Striegl, Michael McHaleU.S. Geological Survey Catskill/Delaware water-quality network: Water-quality report water year 2006
The U.S. Geological Survey operates a 60-station streamgaging network in the New York City Catskill/Delaware Water Supply System. Water-quality samples were collected at 13 of the stations in the Catskill/Delaware streamgaging network to provide resource managers with water-quality and water-quantity data from the water-supply system that supplies about 85 percent of the water needed by the more tAuthorsMichael R. McHale, Jason SiemionQuality-assurance data for routine water analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2003 through June 2005
The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were developed to ensure proper sample collection, procAuthorsTricia A. Lincoln, Debra A. Horan-Ross, Michael R. McHale, Gregory B. LawrenceQuality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2001 Through June 2003
The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were developed to ensure proper sample collection, procAuthorsTricia A. Lincoln, Debra A. Horan-Ross, Michael R. McHale, Gregory B. LawrenceQuality-Assurance Data for Routine Water Analyses by the U.S. Geological Survey Laboratory in Troy, New York - July 2005 through June 2007
The laboratory for analysis of low-ionic-strength water at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Center in Troy, N.Y., analyzes samples collected by USGS projects throughout the Northeast. The laboratory's quality-assurance program is based on internal and interlaboratory quality-assurance samples and quality-control procedures that were developed to ensure proper sample collection, procAuthorsTricia A. Lincoln, Debra A. Horan-Ross, Michael R. McHale, Gregory B. LawrenceEffects of forest harvesting on ecosystem health in the headwaters of the New York City Water Supply, Catskill Mountains, New York
The effects of forest clearcutting and selective harvesting on forest soils, soil and stream water chemistry, forest regrowth, and aquatic communities were studied in four small headwater catchments. This research was conducted to identify the sensitivity of forested ecosystems to forest disturbance in the northeastern United States. The study area was in the headwaters of the Neversink ReservoirAuthorsMichael R. McHale, Peter S. Murdoch, Douglas A. Burns, Barry P. BaldigoFactors controlling nitrogen release from two forested catchments with contrasting hydrochemical responses
Quantifying biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (N) and the associated fluxes to surface waters remains challenging, given the need to deal with spatial and temporal variability and to characterize complex and heterogeneous landscapes. We focused our study on catchments S14 and S15 located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, USA, which have similar topographic and hydrologic characteristics butAuthorsS.F. Christopher, M.J. Mitchell, Michael McHale, E. W. Boyer, Douglas A. Burns, C. KendallPhosphorus Concentrations in Stream-Water and Reference Samples - An Assessment of Laboratory Comparability
In 2003, a study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy and precision of 10 laboratories that analyze water-quality samples for phosphorus concentrations in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State. Many environmental studies in this region rely on data from these different laboratories for water-quality analyses, and the data may be used in watershed modeling and management decisions. ThereAuthorsMichael R. McHale, Dennis McChesneyNon-USGS Publications**
McHale, MR, (1999) Hydrologic controls of nitrogen cycling in an Adirondack Watershed. Ph.D. Thesis, Faculty of Forestry, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NYMcHale, MR, Cirmo, CP, Mitchell, MJ and McDonnell, JJ, (2004) Wetland nitrogen dynamics in an Adirondack forested watershed. Hydrological Processes, 18: 1853-1870.McHale, MR, McDonnell, JJ, Cirmo, CP and Mitchell, JJ, (2002) A field-based study of soil water and groundwater nitrate release in an Adirondack forested watershed. Water Resources Research, 38: 2-1 – 2-17.McHale, MR, Mitchell, MJ, McDonnell, JJ and Cirmo, CP (2000) Nitrogen solutes in an Adirondack forested watershed: Importance of dissolved organic nitrogen. Biogeochemistry, 48: 165-184.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.