Todd Stuntebeck is a Physical Scientist with the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Design, instrumentation, and implementation of projects focused on measuring and interpreting water-quantity and water-quality data from nonpoint sources including agricultural land at edges of fields, streams, and subsurface-tiles.
CURRENT PROJECTS
- University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms Program - Willow River and Jersey Valley Watershed Projects; Feed Bunker Leachate Characterization Project
- Sand County Foundation - Milwaukee River Watershed Project
- Sand County Foundation, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, Dane County - Yahara River Adaptive Management Pilot Project.
- Dane County and others - Dane County Stream Monitoring Project.
Education and Certifications
M.S., Water Resources Management, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1992
B.S., Biology, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, 1990
Affiliations and Memberships*
Wisconsin Certified Professional Hydrologist (1999 - present)
Science and Products
Edge-of-field monitoring
Edge-of-field monitoring: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
Dane County water-quality monitoring program
Edge-of-field monitoring: Discovery Farms
Nutrient and sediment concentrations, loads, yields, and rainfall characteristics at USGS surface and subsurface-tile edge-of-field agricultural monitoring sites in Great Lakes States (ver. 2.0, September 2022)
Estimated daily loads of nutrients, sediment, and chloride at USGS edge-of-field stations, in Wisconsin, water years 2012-17
Data used to evaluate the effects of field-level management practices on edge-of-field phosphorus loading in Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2004-17
Effects of manure and tillage on edge-of-field phosphorus loss in seasonally frozen landscapes
Calibration of a field-scale Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model with field placement of best management practices in Alger Creek, Michigan
Characterizing phosphorus dynamics in tile-drained agricultural fieldsof eastern Wisconsin
Implications of flume slope on discharge estimates from 0.762-meter H flumes used in edge-of-field monitoring
An at-grade stabilization structure impact on runoff and suspended sediment
Nutrients and sediment in frozen-ground runoff from no-till fields receiving liquid-dairy and solid-beef manures
Precipitation-runoff relations and water-quality characteristics at edge-of-field stations, Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm, Wisconsin, 2003-8
Methods of Data Collection, Sample Processing, and Data Analysis for Edge-of-Field, Streamgaging, Subsurface-Tile, and Meteorological Stations at Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm in Wisconsin, 2001-7
Evaluating barnyard Best Management Practices in Wisconsin using upstream-downstream monitoring
Effectiveness of barnyard best management practices in Wisconsin
Science and Products
- Science
Edge-of-field monitoring
Edge-of-field monitoring focuses on identifying and reducing agricultural sources of excess nutrients which can threaten the health of streams, rivers, and lakes. Edge-of-field monitoring assesses the quantity and quality of agricultural runoff and evaluates the effectiveness of conservation practices that aim to reduce nutrient loss.Edge-of-field monitoring: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative edge-of-field monitoring focuses on identifying and reducing agricultural sources of excess nutrients which threaten the health of the Great Lakes. The USGS supports these efforts by utilizing edge-of-field monitoring to assess the quantity and quality of agricultural runoff and evaluate conservation practices that aim to reduce sediment and nutrient loss.Dane County water-quality monitoring program
Many Dane County, Wis., streams and lakes have been degraded due to excessive nutrients and sediment contributed primarily by agriculture and urbanization. The goal is to build a long-term base of streamflow, lake stage, and water-quality data essential for water-resource planning and assessment purposes for streams and lakes in Dane County, with a focus on the Yahara River Basin.Edge-of-field monitoring: Discovery Farms
The USGS is cooperating with Discovery Farms to understand agriculture’s impact on the environment and help producers find ways to minimize their impact while remaining economically viable. Edge-of-field or subsurface tile monitoring stations measure runoff-event volume, including snowmelt, and collect samples which are analyzed for suspended sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen, and chloride. - Data
Nutrient and sediment concentrations, loads, yields, and rainfall characteristics at USGS surface and subsurface-tile edge-of-field agricultural monitoring sites in Great Lakes States (ver. 2.0, September 2022)
This data release focuses on nutrient and sediment concentrations, loads, and yields at USGS surface and subsurface-tile edge-of-field (EOF) agricultural monitoring sites in Great Lakes States. Water quality and rainfall metrics are summarized by individual flow events to evaluate the contribution of EOF losses to headwater stream networks in agricultural landscapes. USGS EOF sites are componentsEstimated daily loads of nutrients, sediment, and chloride at USGS edge-of-field stations, in Wisconsin, water years 2012-17
As part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have partnered to evaluate agricultural conservation practices focused on nutrient management. Monitoring methods allow for rapid assessment of water-quality changes in response to conservation effData used to evaluate the effects of field-level management practices on edge-of-field phosphorus loading in Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2004-17
This dataset is a compilation of 125 site years of data collected between 2004-2017 from 26 agricultural fields (2-17 ha) in Minnesota and Wisconsin, representing 13 environmental and seven management factors. Each field was continually monitored for snowmelt and storm event surface runoff volume and phosphorus (P) concentrations. Event data were compiled to calculate both P loads and flow-weighte - Publications
Effects of manure and tillage on edge-of-field phosphorus loss in seasonally frozen landscapes
Environmental conditions and management practices affect nutrient losses in surface runoff, but their relative impacts on phosphorus (P) loss during frozen and nonfrozen ground periods have not been well quantified. More specifically, the relative importance of manure application, tillage, and soil-test P (STP) has not been assessed at the field scale. In this study, we compiled a dataset composedCalibration of a field-scale Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model with field placement of best management practices in Alger Creek, Michigan
Subwatersheds within the Great Lakes “Priority Watersheds” were targeted by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to determine the effectiveness of the various best management practices (BMPs) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service National Conservation Planning (NCP) Database. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is created for Alger Creek,Characterizing phosphorus dynamics in tile-drained agricultural fieldsof eastern Wisconsin
Artificial subsurface drainage provides an avenue for the rapid transfer of phosphorus (P) from agricultural fields to surface waters. This is of particular interest in eastern Wisconsin, where there is a concentrated population of dairy farms and high clay content soils prone to macropore development. Through collaboration with private landowners, surface and tile drainage was measured and analyzImplications of flume slope on discharge estimates from 0.762-meter H flumes used in edge-of-field monitoring
The effects of longitudinal slope on the estimation of discharge in a 0.762-meter (m) (depth at flume entrance) H flume were tested under controlled conditions with slopes from −8 to +8 percent and discharges from 1.2 to 323 liters per second. Compared to the stage-discharge rating for a longitudinal flume slope of zero, computed discharges were negatively biased (maximum −31 percent) when the fluAn at-grade stabilization structure impact on runoff and suspended sediment
In recent years, agricultural runoff has received more attention as a major contributor to surface water pollution. This is especially true for the unglaciated area of Wisconsin, given this area's steep topography, which makes it highly susceptible to runoff and soil loss. We evaluated the ability of an at-grade stabilization structure (AGSS), designed as a conservation practice to reduce the amouNutrients and sediment in frozen-ground runoff from no-till fields receiving liquid-dairy and solid-beef manures
Nutrients and sediment in surface runoff from frozen agricultural fields were monitored within three small (16.0 ha [39.5 ac] or less), adjacent basins at a no-till farm in southwest Wisconsin during four winters from 2003 to 2004 through 2006 to 2007. Runoff depths and flow-weighted constituent concentrations were compared to determine the impacts of surface-applied liquid-dairy or solid-beef manPrecipitation-runoff relations and water-quality characteristics at edge-of-field stations, Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm, Wisconsin, 2003-8
A cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Discovery Farms program (Discovery Farms), and the UW-Platteville Pioneer Farm program (Pioneer Farm) was developed to identify typical ranges and magnitudes, temporal distributions, and principal factors affecting concentrations and yields of sediment, nutrients, and other selected constituents in runMethods of Data Collection, Sample Processing, and Data Analysis for Edge-of-Field, Streamgaging, Subsurface-Tile, and Meteorological Stations at Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm in Wisconsin, 2001-7
The University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Discovery Farms (Discovery Farms) and UW-Platteville Pioneer Farm (Pioneer Farm) programs were created in 2000 to help Wisconsin farmers meet environmental and economic challenges. As a partner with each program, and in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Sand County Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) WisconsinEvaluating barnyard Best Management Practices in Wisconsin using upstream-downstream monitoring
The Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program was created in 1978 by the Wisconsin Legislature. The goal of the program is to improve and protect the water quality of lakes, streams, wetlands, and ground water within selected priority watersheds by controlling sources of nonpoint pollution. For each selected watershed, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources drafts a management planEffectiveness of barnyard best management practices in Wisconsin
In 1978, the Wisconsin Legislature committed to protecting water quality by enacting the Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program. Through this program, cost-share money is provided within priority watersheds to control sources of nonpoint pollution. Most of the cost-share dollars for rural watersheds have been used to implement barnyard Best Management Practices (BMPs) because barnyards - Multimedia
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government