Robert J Waschbusch
Biography
EDUCATION
MS Water Resources Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1991)
BS Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1988)
EXPERIENCE
Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, 1992 to present
Hydrologic Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, 1988-1991
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Wisconsin streamflow network, monitoring and statistics
- Recreational water quality
- Surface water investigations of waterborne pathogens
CURRENT PROJECTS
Maintenance and collection of streamflow data from the USGS Wisconsin streamgaging network to provide real-time streamflow data and to describe streamflow conditions and flood and low-flow characteristics for the State of Wisconsin.
Science and Products
MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study: Continuous Real-Time Streamflow
The MMSD Watercourse Corridor Study supports seven USGS streamflow gages on Milwaukee-area streams that measure real-time discharge and gage height. A few sites also support time lapse site videos.
Streamflow monitoring in Wisconsin
Streamflow data are needed at many sites on a daily basis for forecasting flow conditions and flooding, water-management decisions, assessing water availability, managing water quality, and meeting legal requirements. The USGS has been measuring streamflow in Wisconsin since 1906 with nearly 1,000 active and discontinued gages.
Flood hazards in Wisconsin
A summary of USGS resources and data related to flooding hazards in Wisconsin.
Drought hazards in Wisconsin
A summary of USGS resources and data related to drought hazards in Wisconsin.
Flood of July 2016 in northern Wisconsin and the Bad River Reservation
Heavy rain fell across northern Wisconsin and the Bad River Reservation on July 11, 2016, as a result of several rounds of thunderstorms. The storms caused major flooding in the Bad River Basin and nearby tributaries along the south shore of Lake Superior. Rainfall totals were 8–10 inches or more and most of the rain fell in an 8-hour period. A...
Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Dantoin, Eric D.; Tillison, Naomi; Watson, Kara M.; Waschbusch, Robert J.; Blount, James D.
Flood of June 2008 in Southern Wisconsin
In June 2008, heavy rain caused severe flooding across southern Wisconsin. The floods were aggravated by saturated soils that persisted from unusually wet antecedent conditions from a combination of floods in August 2007, more than 100 inches of snow in winter 2007-08, and moist conditions in spring 2008. The flooding caused immediate evacuations...
Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Peppler, Marie C.; Walker, John F.; Rose, William J.; Waschbusch, Robert J.; Kennedy, James L. Water resources data - Wisconsin, water year 2005
Water-resources data for the 2005 water year for Wisconsin include records of streamflow at gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites, records of precipitation, and records of chemical, biological, and physical characteristics of surface water. In addition, water levels in observation wells are reported. These data were...
Waschbusch, R.J.; Olson, D.L.; Marsh, S.B. Water resources data - Wisconsin, water year 2004
Waschbusch, R.J.; Olson, D.L.; Marsh, S.B.; Stark, P.A. Water Resources Data - Wisconsin, Water Year 2003
Water-resources data for the 2003 water year for Wisconsin include records of streamflow at gaging stations, partialrecord stations, and miscellaneous sites, records of precipitation, and records of chemical, biological, and physical characteristics of surface water. In addition, water levels in observation wells are reported. These data were...
Waschbusch, R.J.; Olson, D.L.; Ellefson, B.R.; Stark, P.A.
Data and methods of a 1999-2000 street sweeping study on an urban freeway in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is required to control the quality of runoff from roadways under their control as part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. One way to control roadway runoff is to use street sweeping to remove pollutants before they are entrained in runoff. This may be a good option because land is...
Waschbusch, Robert J. Water Resources Data - Wisconsin, Water Year 2002
Water-resources data for the 2002 water year for Wisconsin include records of streamflow at gaging stations, partial record stations, and miscellaneous sites, records of precipitation, and records of chemical, biological, and physical characteristics of surface water. In addition, water levels in observation wells are reported. These data were...
Waschbusch, R.J.; Olson, D.L.; Ellefson, B.R.; Stark, P.A.
Water Resources Data, Wisconsin, Water Year 2001
Waschbusch, R.J.; Olson, D.L.; Ellefson, B.R.; Stark, P.A.
Determination of the effects of fine-grained sediment and other limiting variables on trout habitat for selected streams in Wisconsin
Two Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) models, developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, were used to evaluate the effects of fine-grained (less than 2 millimeters) sediment on brook trout (Salvelinusfontinalis, Mitchill) and brown trout (Salmo trutta, Linnaeus) in 11 streams in west-central and southwestern Wisconsin. Our results indicated...
Scudder, Barbara C.; Selbig, J.W.; Waschbusch, R.J.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of an urban stormwater treatment unit in Madison, Wisconsin, 1996-97
An urban stormwater treatment unit was tested as part of an ongoing program of urban nonpoint- pollution research in Madison, Wis. Flow measurements were made and water samples were collected at the inlet to, outlet from, and bypass around the treatment chamber of the device that was installed to collect the runoff from a city maintenance yard....
Waschbusch, Robert J. Sources of phosphorus in stormwater and street dirt from two urban residential basins in Madison, Wisconsin, 1994-95
Eutrophication is a common problem for lakes in agricultural and urban areas, such as Lakes Wingra and Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin. This report describes a study to estimate the sources of phosphorus, a major contributor to eutrophication, to Lakes Wingra and Mendota from two small urban residential drainage basins. The Monroe Basin empties into...
Waschbusch, Robert J.; Selbig, W.R.; Bannerman, Roger T.
Stormwater-runoff data, Madison, Wisconsin, 1993-94
Section 402(P) of the Water Quality Control Act of 1987 requires that municipalities with a population of 100,000 or more obtain permits to discharge stormwater runoff and to control its quality. Monitoring and sampling of stormwater runoff from seven drainage basins in Madison, Wis., was performed from April 1993 through November 1994 by the U.S...
Waschbusch, R.J.