Nancy Baker has over thirty years of service as a hydrologist and geographer studying the connections between landscape processes and water quality in the Nation’s rivers and streams.
Nancy Baker integrates her knowledge of hydrology and geographic information systems (GIS) to design, execute, interpret, and report on studies of local, regional and national scope. She has participated in studies in a variety of landscapes including 1) agricultural chemical transport, 2) agricultural pesticide use, 3) ground water recharge in fracture rock areas, and 4) green infrastructure practices in urban areas. She works with multiple types of temporal and spatial data to process and harmonize water-quality, climate and water budget, soils, land use, demographic, and hydrologic data.
Areas of Expertise
Nancy has considerable experience using GIS, scripting, and statistical software to automate, compile and analyze large datasets. She often designs and creates information graphics that translate complex scientific findings into visual medium that can be easily communicated to stakeholders and the public.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Physical Geography (minor in Agricultural Engineering), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 1988
M.S., Physical Geography (minor in Environmental Engineering), Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, 1982
B.S., Biology (minor in Chemistry), Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, 1979
Science and Products
Pesticides
About 1 billion pounds of conventional pesticides are used each year in the United States to control weeds, insects, and other pests. The use of pesticides has resulted in a range of benefits, including increased food production and reduction of insect-borne disease, but also raises questions about possible adverse effects on the environment, including water quality. The National Water Quality...
Geospatially derived environmental characteristics to prioritize watersheds for research and monitoring needs within 18 hydrologic regions across the United States
Water availability for human and ecosystem needs is a function of both water quantity and water quality, as described in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Strategy (Evenson and others, 2013). Recently, a quantitative approach to prioritize candidate watersheds for monitoring investment was developed to understand changes in water availability and advance the objectives of new USGS pr
Water Level Altitude in Bedrock Wells and Meteorological Data at the Masser Groundwater Recharge Site between February 1 and December 31, 1999
This product contains time-series data for groundwater level altitudes in bedrock boreholes and meteorological information from a site administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The site, referred to as the Masser Groundwater Recharge Site, is located in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province of eastern-central Pennsylvania, USA, approximat
Glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in National Water Quality Network Streams and Rivers in the U.S., Water Years 2015-2017
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Network - Rivers and Streams (NWQN) is comprised of 110 surface-water monitoring sites designed to track ambient water-quality conditions across the nation. Although numerous constituents, including pesticides, have been collected at many of these sites since 1991, glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were not rout
Data Sets and Figures for the Report Entitled, "A Field Study of Selected U.S. Geological Survey Analytical Methods for Measuring Pesticides in Filtered Stream Water, June-September 2012"
The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program and National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) are U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitoring programs that measure pesticide concentrations in the Nations streams and rivers, herein collectively referred to as streams. The NAWQA Program began monitoring pesticides in 1992 and the NASQAN Program began monitoring pesticides in 1995. The p
Agricultural Pesticide Use Estimates for Selected Watersheds of the Surface Water Trends Project, 1992-2014, National Water Quality Program
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Program (NWQP) provides an understanding of water-quality conditions; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions. The Surface Water Trends (SWT) project of NWQP evaluates the directions, periods, and statistical significance of trends in water quality in str
Agricultural Pesticide Use Estimates for the USGS National Water Quality Network, 1992-2014: Version 2
The National Water Quality Network (NWQN) for Rivers and Streams includes 113 surface-water river and stream sites monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Program (NWQP). The NWQN represents the consolidation of four historical national networks: the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project, the USGS National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN), t
Datasets for the Report Entitled: "A Method for Addressing Differences in Concentrations of Fipronil and Three Degradates Obtained by Two Different Laboratory Methods"
This report provides data input and computation results for a method developed by Crawford and Martin (2017) to address differences in concentrations of fipronil and three degradates obtained by two different laboratory methods. Data are arranged in 9 tables that include water-quality site information, laboratory recovery data, laboratory analyses results and measured water-sample concentrations a
Watershed Boundaries for the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Network
The National Water Quality Network (NWQN) for Rivers and Streams includes 113 surface-water river and stream sites monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Program (NWQP). The NWQN represents the consolidation of four historical national networks: the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project, the USGS National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN), t
Filter Total Items: 35
Green infrastructure in the Great Lakes—Assessment of performance, barriers, and unintended consequences
The Great Lakes Basin covers around 536,393 square kilometers, and the Great Lakes hold more than 5,400 cubic miles of water, accounting for more than 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water supply. The Great Lakes provide a source of drinking water to tens of millions of people in Canada and the United States and support one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Increasing urbanizati
Authors
Nancy T. Baker, Daniel J. Sullivan, William R. Selbig, Ralph Haefner, David C. Lampe, E. Randall Bayless, Michael R. McHale
Nutrient and suspended-sediment concentrations in the Maumee River and tributaries during 2019 rain-induced fallow conditions
Above average precipitation from October 2018 through July 2019 in the Maumee River (R.) Basin resulted in 29% of cropland left fallow, providing a glimpse of potential effects from decreased nutrient application. Ongoing monitoring at 15 water-quality sites on the Maumee R. upstream from Defiance enabled comparison with 2017, which was hydrologically similar to 2019 in precipitation and streamflo
Authors
Tanja N. Williamson, Kimberly Shaffer, Donna L. Runkle, Matthew John Hardebeck, Edward G. Dobrowolski, Jeffrey W. Frey, Nancy T. Baker, Katie Marie Collier, Carrie A. Huitger, Stephanie P. Kula, Ralph Haefner, Lisa M Hartley, Hunter Frederick Crates, J. Jeremy Webber, Dennis P. Finnegan, Nicholas J. Reithel, Chad Toussant, Thomas L. Weaver
Causal factors for pesticide trends in streams of the United States: Atrazine and deethylatrazine
Pesticides are important for agriculture in the United States, and atrazine is one of the most widely used and widely detected pesticides in surface water. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which atrazine and its degradation product, deethylatrazine, increase and decrease in surface waters can help inform future decisions for water-quality improvement. This study considers causal factors
Authors
Karen R. Ryberg, Wesley W. Stone, Nancy T. Baker
Influence of land use and region on glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in streams in the USA
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the United States for agricultural and non-agricultural weed control. Many studies demonstrate possible effects of glyphosate and its degradate AMPA on human and ecological health. Although glyphosate is thought to have limited mobility in soil, it is found year-round in many rivers and streams throughout the world in both agricultural and developed
Authors
Laura Medalie, Nancy T. Baker, Megan E. Shoda, Wesley W. Stone, Michael T. Meyer, Edward G. Stets, Michaelah C. Wilson
Agriculture — A river runs through it — The connections between agriculture and water quality
Sustaining the quality of the Nation’s water resources and the health of our diverse ecosystems depends on the availability of sound water-resources data and information to develop effective, science-based policies. Effective management of water resources also brings more certainty and efficiency to important economic sectors. Taken together, these actions lead to immediate and longterm economic,
Authors
Paul D. Capel, Kathleen A. McCarthy, Richard H. Coupe, Katia M. Grey, Sheila E. Amenumey, Nancy T. Baker, Richard L. Johnson
Contrasting nitrogen fate in watersheds using agricultural and water quality information
Surplus nitrogen (N) estimates, principal component analysis (PCA), and end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) were used in a multisite comparison contrasting the fate of N in diverse agricultural watersheds. We applied PCA-EMMA in 10 watersheds located in Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Mississippi, and Washington ranging in size from 5 to 1254 km2 with four nested watersheds. Watershed Surplus N w
Authors
Hedeff I. Essaid, Nancy T. Baker, Kathleen A. McCarthy
Estimated agricultural pesticide use for Southeast Stream-Quality Assessment, 2014
Introduction
One of the goals of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southeast Stream-Quality Assessment (SESQA) is to characterize contaminants at perennial-stream sites throughout the southern Piedmont and southern Appalachian Mountains. The evaluation of pesticide inputs from agricultural sources will aid in that characterization.
Methods used for calculating county-level pesticide use documented
Authors
Nancy T. Baker
Preliminary estimates of annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 2013
Summary
This report provides preliminary estimates of annual agricultural use of 387 pesticide compounds in counties of the conterminous United States in 2013, compiled by means of methods described in Thelin and Stone (2013) and Baker and Stone (2015). U.S. Department of Agriculture county-level data for harvested-crop acreage were used in conjunction with proprietary Crop Reporting District-leve
Authors
Nancy T. Baker
Estimated annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 2008-12
Annual county-level pesticide use was estimated for 423 herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides applied to agricultural crops grown in the conterminous United States during 2008–12. For all States except California, pesticide-use data were compiled from proprietary surveys of farm operations located within U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Reporting Districts (CRDs). Surveyed pesticide-use data
Authors
Nancy T. Baker, Wesley W. Stone
Water quality in Indiana: trends in concentrations of selected nutrients, metals, and ions in streams, 2000-10
Water quality in Indiana streams generally improved during the 2000–10 study period, based on trends in selected nutrients, metals, and ions. This study combined water-quality data from the Indiana Fixed Station Monitoring Program (FSMP) with streamflow data from nearby U.S. Geological Survey streamgages. A parametric time-series model, QWTREND, was used to develop streamflow-adjusted constituent
Authors
Martin R. Risch, Aubrey R. Bunch, Aldo V. Vecchia, Jeffrey D. Martin, Nancy T. Baker
Annual agricultural pesticide use for Midwest Stream-Quality Assessment, 2012-13
This report provides estimates of annual agricultural use of 190 pesticide compounds for counties and selected watersheds of Midwestern States for 2012 and 2013 compiled for subsequent analysis by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, Midwest Stream-Quality Assessment (MSQA). One of the goals of MSQA is to characterize contaminants at perennial-stream sites throughout the Corn Belt. Evalu
Authors
Nancy T. Baker, Wesley W. Stone
Preliminary estimates of annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 2010-11
This report provides preliminary estimates of annual agricultural use of 374 pesticide compounds in counties of the conterminous United States in 2010 and 2011, compiled by means of methods described in Thelin and Stone (2013). U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) county-level data for harvested-crop acreage were used in conjunction with proprietary Crop Reporting District (CRD)-level pesticide-u
Authors
Nancy T. Baker, Wesley W. Stone
Non-USGS Publications**
Baker, N.T., 1996, Use of a global positioning system and an acoustic doppler current profiler to map river and lake bathymetery: Published in Hallam, C.A., Salisbury, J.M., Lanfear, K.J., and Battaglin, W.A., eds., Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association Annual Symposium--Geographic Information Systems and Water Resources: Herndon, Virginia, American Water Resources Association, Technical Publication Series 96-3, p. 373-381.
**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
Pesticides
About 1 billion pounds of conventional pesticides are used each year in the United States to control weeds, insects, and other pests. The use of pesticides has resulted in a range of benefits, including increased food production and reduction of insect-borne disease, but also raises questions about possible adverse effects on the environment, including water quality. The National Water Quality... - Data
Geospatially derived environmental characteristics to prioritize watersheds for research and monitoring needs within 18 hydrologic regions across the United States
Water availability for human and ecosystem needs is a function of both water quantity and water quality, as described in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Strategy (Evenson and others, 2013). Recently, a quantitative approach to prioritize candidate watersheds for monitoring investment was developed to understand changes in water availability and advance the objectives of new USGS prWater Level Altitude in Bedrock Wells and Meteorological Data at the Masser Groundwater Recharge Site between February 1 and December 31, 1999
This product contains time-series data for groundwater level altitudes in bedrock boreholes and meteorological information from a site administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The site, referred to as the Masser Groundwater Recharge Site, is located in the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province of eastern-central Pennsylvania, USA, approximatGlyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in National Water Quality Network Streams and Rivers in the U.S., Water Years 2015-2017
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Network - Rivers and Streams (NWQN) is comprised of 110 surface-water monitoring sites designed to track ambient water-quality conditions across the nation. Although numerous constituents, including pesticides, have been collected at many of these sites since 1991, glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were not routData Sets and Figures for the Report Entitled, "A Field Study of Selected U.S. Geological Survey Analytical Methods for Measuring Pesticides in Filtered Stream Water, June-September 2012"
The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program and National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN) are U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitoring programs that measure pesticide concentrations in the Nations streams and rivers, herein collectively referred to as streams. The NAWQA Program began monitoring pesticides in 1992 and the NASQAN Program began monitoring pesticides in 1995. The pAgricultural Pesticide Use Estimates for Selected Watersheds of the Surface Water Trends Project, 1992-2014, National Water Quality Program
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Program (NWQP) provides an understanding of water-quality conditions; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions. The Surface Water Trends (SWT) project of NWQP evaluates the directions, periods, and statistical significance of trends in water quality in strAgricultural Pesticide Use Estimates for the USGS National Water Quality Network, 1992-2014: Version 2
The National Water Quality Network (NWQN) for Rivers and Streams includes 113 surface-water river and stream sites monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Program (NWQP). The NWQN represents the consolidation of four historical national networks: the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project, the USGS National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN), tDatasets for the Report Entitled: "A Method for Addressing Differences in Concentrations of Fipronil and Three Degradates Obtained by Two Different Laboratory Methods"
This report provides data input and computation results for a method developed by Crawford and Martin (2017) to address differences in concentrations of fipronil and three degradates obtained by two different laboratory methods. Data are arranged in 9 tables that include water-quality site information, laboratory recovery data, laboratory analyses results and measured water-sample concentrations aWatershed Boundaries for the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Network
The National Water Quality Network (NWQN) for Rivers and Streams includes 113 surface-water river and stream sites monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Program (NWQP). The NWQN represents the consolidation of four historical national networks: the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project, the USGS National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN), t - Publications
Filter Total Items: 35
Green infrastructure in the Great Lakes—Assessment of performance, barriers, and unintended consequences
The Great Lakes Basin covers around 536,393 square kilometers, and the Great Lakes hold more than 5,400 cubic miles of water, accounting for more than 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water supply. The Great Lakes provide a source of drinking water to tens of millions of people in Canada and the United States and support one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Increasing urbanizatiAuthorsNancy T. Baker, Daniel J. Sullivan, William R. Selbig, Ralph Haefner, David C. Lampe, E. Randall Bayless, Michael R. McHaleNutrient and suspended-sediment concentrations in the Maumee River and tributaries during 2019 rain-induced fallow conditions
Above average precipitation from October 2018 through July 2019 in the Maumee River (R.) Basin resulted in 29% of cropland left fallow, providing a glimpse of potential effects from decreased nutrient application. Ongoing monitoring at 15 water-quality sites on the Maumee R. upstream from Defiance enabled comparison with 2017, which was hydrologically similar to 2019 in precipitation and streamfloAuthorsTanja N. Williamson, Kimberly Shaffer, Donna L. Runkle, Matthew John Hardebeck, Edward G. Dobrowolski, Jeffrey W. Frey, Nancy T. Baker, Katie Marie Collier, Carrie A. Huitger, Stephanie P. Kula, Ralph Haefner, Lisa M Hartley, Hunter Frederick Crates, J. Jeremy Webber, Dennis P. Finnegan, Nicholas J. Reithel, Chad Toussant, Thomas L. WeaverCausal factors for pesticide trends in streams of the United States: Atrazine and deethylatrazine
Pesticides are important for agriculture in the United States, and atrazine is one of the most widely used and widely detected pesticides in surface water. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which atrazine and its degradation product, deethylatrazine, increase and decrease in surface waters can help inform future decisions for water-quality improvement. This study considers causal factorsAuthorsKaren R. Ryberg, Wesley W. Stone, Nancy T. BakerInfluence of land use and region on glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in streams in the USA
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the United States for agricultural and non-agricultural weed control. Many studies demonstrate possible effects of glyphosate and its degradate AMPA on human and ecological health. Although glyphosate is thought to have limited mobility in soil, it is found year-round in many rivers and streams throughout the world in both agricultural and developedAuthorsLaura Medalie, Nancy T. Baker, Megan E. Shoda, Wesley W. Stone, Michael T. Meyer, Edward G. Stets, Michaelah C. WilsonAgriculture — A river runs through it — The connections between agriculture and water quality
Sustaining the quality of the Nation’s water resources and the health of our diverse ecosystems depends on the availability of sound water-resources data and information to develop effective, science-based policies. Effective management of water resources also brings more certainty and efficiency to important economic sectors. Taken together, these actions lead to immediate and longterm economic,AuthorsPaul D. Capel, Kathleen A. McCarthy, Richard H. Coupe, Katia M. Grey, Sheila E. Amenumey, Nancy T. Baker, Richard L. JohnsonContrasting nitrogen fate in watersheds using agricultural and water quality information
Surplus nitrogen (N) estimates, principal component analysis (PCA), and end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) were used in a multisite comparison contrasting the fate of N in diverse agricultural watersheds. We applied PCA-EMMA in 10 watersheds located in Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Nebraska, Mississippi, and Washington ranging in size from 5 to 1254 km2 with four nested watersheds. Watershed Surplus N wAuthorsHedeff I. Essaid, Nancy T. Baker, Kathleen A. McCarthyEstimated agricultural pesticide use for Southeast Stream-Quality Assessment, 2014
Introduction One of the goals of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Southeast Stream-Quality Assessment (SESQA) is to characterize contaminants at perennial-stream sites throughout the southern Piedmont and southern Appalachian Mountains. The evaluation of pesticide inputs from agricultural sources will aid in that characterization. Methods used for calculating county-level pesticide use documentedAuthorsNancy T. BakerPreliminary estimates of annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 2013
Summary This report provides preliminary estimates of annual agricultural use of 387 pesticide compounds in counties of the conterminous United States in 2013, compiled by means of methods described in Thelin and Stone (2013) and Baker and Stone (2015). U.S. Department of Agriculture county-level data for harvested-crop acreage were used in conjunction with proprietary Crop Reporting District-leveAuthorsNancy T. BakerEstimated annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 2008-12
Annual county-level pesticide use was estimated for 423 herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides applied to agricultural crops grown in the conterminous United States during 2008–12. For all States except California, pesticide-use data were compiled from proprietary surveys of farm operations located within U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Reporting Districts (CRDs). Surveyed pesticide-use dataAuthorsNancy T. Baker, Wesley W. StoneWater quality in Indiana: trends in concentrations of selected nutrients, metals, and ions in streams, 2000-10
Water quality in Indiana streams generally improved during the 2000–10 study period, based on trends in selected nutrients, metals, and ions. This study combined water-quality data from the Indiana Fixed Station Monitoring Program (FSMP) with streamflow data from nearby U.S. Geological Survey streamgages. A parametric time-series model, QWTREND, was used to develop streamflow-adjusted constituentAuthorsMartin R. Risch, Aubrey R. Bunch, Aldo V. Vecchia, Jeffrey D. Martin, Nancy T. BakerAnnual agricultural pesticide use for Midwest Stream-Quality Assessment, 2012-13
This report provides estimates of annual agricultural use of 190 pesticide compounds for counties and selected watersheds of Midwestern States for 2012 and 2013 compiled for subsequent analysis by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, Midwest Stream-Quality Assessment (MSQA). One of the goals of MSQA is to characterize contaminants at perennial-stream sites throughout the Corn Belt. EvaluAuthorsNancy T. Baker, Wesley W. StonePreliminary estimates of annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 2010-11
This report provides preliminary estimates of annual agricultural use of 374 pesticide compounds in counties of the conterminous United States in 2010 and 2011, compiled by means of methods described in Thelin and Stone (2013). U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) county-level data for harvested-crop acreage were used in conjunction with proprietary Crop Reporting District (CRD)-level pesticide-uAuthorsNancy T. Baker, Wesley W. StoneNon-USGS Publications**
Baker, N.T., 1996, Use of a global positioning system and an acoustic doppler current profiler to map river and lake bathymetery: Published in Hallam, C.A., Salisbury, J.M., Lanfear, K.J., and Battaglin, W.A., eds., Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association Annual Symposium--Geographic Information Systems and Water Resources: Herndon, Virginia, American Water Resources Association, Technical Publication Series 96-3, p. 373-381.**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.