Stephen D. Preston, Research Hydrologist

Education

Ph.D.

University of Notre Dame (Environmental Engineering), 1990

M.A.

University of Florida (Environmental Engineering Sciences), 1983

B.A.

Shippensburg State University (Biology), 1977

Associations and Memberships

• National Ground Water Association (1998-present)
• Geological Society of America (1998-present)

Research Interests

-- Quantitative Assessment of Contaminant Behavior in Natural Systems

-- Application of Statistical Methods for the Design of Sampling Programs

-- Data Analysis and Simulation of Environmental Processes Contaminant - Sediment Interactions in Aquatic Environments

Professional Experience

United States Geological Survey / United States Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program, Annapolis, Maryland, Monitoring Coordinator. Research Hydrologist, 2001-present.
-- Currently responsible for coordinating monitoring efforts of multiple state and federal agencies in support of the efforts of the Chesapeake Bay Program and the signatory jurisdictions of the 2000 Chesapeake Bay Agreement.

United States Geological Survey, Baltimore, Maryland Chesapeake Bay Placed-Based Studies Program, Research Hydrologist, 1996 – 2001.
-- Led the effort to develop SPARROW models to provide cooperating agencies with information regarding the spatial distribution of environmental factors affecting stream nutrient loading.

United States Geological Survey, Baltimore, Maryland USEPA EMAP / USGS NAWQA Joint Assessment Program, Research Hydrologist, 1998.
-- Participated in a study of the potential for joint monitoring designs between the EMAP and NAWQA programs by performing statistical studies of the relative advantages of the two monitoring designs.

United States Geological Survey, Towson, Maryland, Patuxent Nonpoint Source Study, Research Hydrologist, 1990 - 1996
-- In cooperation with Maryland Department of the Environment, acted as project leader for a large study designed to evaluate water quality and simulate nonpoint source nutrient loading in the Patuxent watershed.

United States Geological Survey, Towson, Maryland Maryland Stream-Gaging Network Evaluation Study, Research Hydrologist, 1995
-- Performed a statistical evaluation study of the stream-gaging network in the State of Maryland.

United States Geological Survey, Towson, Maryland, Maryland Ungaged Basin Study, Research Hydrologist, 1992 - 1994
-- Designed and conducted a study of the use of regional geographic information for estimating nonpoint source nutrient loading from ungaged subbasins of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, Department of Geography, Adjunct Professor, 1996 – present.
-- Teaches undergraduate level course in water quality.

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, Department of Civil Engineering, PhD Program, September, 1986 - June, 1990
-- Conducted research to evaluate statistical techniques for the estimation of stream contaminant loads.

Barr Engineering Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Water Chemist/ Env. Engineer, April, 1986 - September, 1986

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, Research Associate/ Assistant, November, 1983 - April, 1986.

Environmental Science and Engineering Inc., Gainesville, Florida, Water Resources Engineering, September, 1982 - October, 1983

University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Graduate Program, March, 1980 - April, 1983

Water and Air Research Inc., Gainesville, Florida, Engineering Technician, August, 1979 - March, 1980

Publications

Alexander, R.B., Smith, R.A., Schwarz, G.E., Preston, S.D., Brakebill, J.W., Srinivasan, R., and Pacheco, P.A., 2000, Atmospheric Nitrogen Flux from the Watersheds of Major Estuaries of the United States: An Application of the SPARROW Watershed Model, in Assessing the Relative Nitrogen Inputs to Coastal Waters from the Atmosphere, American Geophysical Union Water Monograph, Valigura, R., Paerl, H.W., Meyers, T., Castro,M.S., Turner, R.E., Alexander, R.B., Brock, D., and Stacey, P.E. (editors).

Preston, S.D., and Brakebill, J.W., 1999, Application of spatially referenced regression modeling for the evaluation of total nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay watershed: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4054, p. 12.

Brakebill, J.W., and Preston, S.D., 1999, Digital data used to relate nutrient inputs to water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Version 1.0: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-60, at URL http://md.usgs.gov/publications/ofr-99-60.

Preston, S.D., Smith, R.A., Schwarz, G.E., Alexander, R.B., and Brakebill, J.W., 1998, Spatially referenced regression modeling of nutrient loading in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, in Proceedings of the First Federal Interagency Hydrologic Modeling Conference, Las Vegas, NV, p. 8.

Preston, S.D., and Summers, R.S., 1997, Estimation of nutrient and suspended-sediment loads in the Patuxent River Basin, Maryland, Water Years 1986-90: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4175, p. 69.

Preston, S.D., 1997, Evaluation of the stream-gaging network in Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C.: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 97-126, p. 4.

Preston, S.D., 1996, Study of nonpoint source nutrient loading in the Patuxent River Basin, Maryland: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4273, p. 6.

Preston, S.D., V.J. Bierman Jr and S.E. Silliman. 1992. Impact of Flow Variability on Error in the Estimation of TributaryMass Loads. ASCE Journal of Environmental Engineering. 118(3):402 - 419.

Preston, S.D., 1990, An evaluation of methods for the estimation of tributary mass loads. The University of Notre Dame, Department of Civil Engineering, Ph.D. Dissertation p.261.

Preston, S.D., V.J. Bierman Jr and S.E. Silliman. 1989 Evaluation of Methods for the Estimation of Tributary Mass Loading Rates. Report submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA. Project No. G1561-04. Technical Report No. 187. p. 50.

Preston, S.D., V.J. Bierman Jr and S.E. Silliman. 1988. An Evaluation of Methods for the Estimation of Tributary Mass Loads. Water Resources Research. 25(6): 1379 - 1389.

Bierman Jr, V.J., S.D. Preston and S.E. Silliman. 1988 Development of Estimation Methods for Tributary Loading Rates of Toxic Chemicals. Report submitted to the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA. Project No. G1421-04. Technical Report No. 183. 158 pp.

Preston, S.D., and P.L. Brezonik. 1985 Water Quality in the Oklawaha Chain of Lakes: A Case Study on Problems and Limitations in Compiling Long-Term Data Bases. Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Conference and International Symposium on Lake and Reservoir Management. North American Lake Management Society.

Preston, S.D., S.E., 1983, Numerical analyses of a Eutrophic Lake Chain, The University of Florida, Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Master's Thesis, 194 p.

Huber, W.C., P.L. Brezonik, J.P. Heaney, R.E. Dickinson, S.D. Preston, D.S. Dwornik and M.A. DeMaio. 1983. A Classification of Florida Lakes. Report to Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Tallahassee. Report no. ENV-05-82-1, Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Brezonik, P.L., S.D. Preston and T.L. Crisman. 1981. Limnological Studies on Lake Apopka and the Oklawaha Chain of Lakes: 4. Water Quality in 1980 and a Summary of the Four Year Data Base. Report no. ENV-07-81-02, Department of EnvironmentalEngineering Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 140 pp.

Presentations

Meeting with EPA Region III and State Officials for identifying methods for establishing Nutrient Criteria, Baltimore, Maryland. Spatially Referenced Regression Modeling of Nutrient Loading in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. December, 1999.

Workshop on Agriculture and Coastal Resources: Issues in Measuring the Economic Dimensions of Problems and Policies, Washington, DC. Modeling the Spatial Distribution of Nutrient Loads in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. June 1999.

Meeting of the Lake Nutrient Assessment Team of the New England Integrated Water Pollution Control Commission and EPA Region I, Lowell, Massachusetts. Spatially Referenced Regression Modeling of Nutrient Loading in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. May, 1999.

Federally Supported Science in the Chesapeake Bay Program Workshop, Laurel, Maryland. Spatially Referenced Regression Modeling of Nutrient Loading in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. December, 1998.

Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information, Denver, Colorado. Spatially Referenced Regression Modeling of Nutrient Loading in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. August, 1998.

First Federal Interagency Hydrologic Modeling Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada. Spatially Referenced Regression Modeling ofNutrient Loading in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. April, 1998.

Watershed `96, A National Conference on Watershed Management, Baltimore, Maryland. Generation and Comparison of Watershed Management Scenarios Patuxent River. June, 1996.

American Geophysical Union, 1994 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California. Relations Between Land Use and Nitrogen Loading in the Patuxent River Basin and Chesapeake Bay Piedmont Area, Maryland. December, 1994.

United States Environmental Protection Agency Nonpoint Source Watershed Monitoring Conference, Northbrook, Illinois. Use of a Ratio Estimator to Estimate Nutrient Loads in the Patuxent River Basin, Maryland. August, 1994.

Chesapeake Research Consortium 1994 Conference, Norfolk, Virginia. Geographic Variations in Nitrogen Loading Within the Patuxent River Basin, Maryland. June, 1994.

United States Environmental Protection Agency Marine and Estuarine Shallow Water Science and Management in the Mid-Atlantic Region Conference, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Nutrient Loading to Estuarine Water from the Patuxent River Basin, Maryland. March, 1994.

United States Geological Survey. Presentation to the Chief Hydrologist, WRD, Reston, Virginia. Nonpoint Source Nutrient and Sediment Loading in the Patuxent River Basin, Maryland. September, 1993.

United States Geological Survey Chesapeake Bay Workshop, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Nonpoint Source Nutrient Loading in the Patuxent River Basin. January, 1992.

Surface Water Hydrology, Geomorphology and Sediment TransportJoint Discipline Research Workshop, Hood River, Oregon. Nonpoint Source Nutrient and Sediment Loading in the Patuxent River Basin, Maryland. September, 1991.

American Geophysical Union, 1991 Spring Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland. Compilation of a Long-Term Water-Quality Data Base for the Assessment of Nonpoint Source Nutrient Loading in the Patuxent River Basin, Maryland. May, 1991.

American Geophysical Union, 1989 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California. Analysis of Error in the Estimation of Tributary Mass Loads. December, 1989.

International Association for Great Lakes Research 32nd Annual Conference, Madison, Wisconsin. Evaluation of Methods for the Estimation of Tributary Mass Loading Rates. May, 1989.

United States Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia. An Evaluation of Methods for Estimating Tributary Contaminant Loads. May, 1988.

North American Lake Management Society Annual Conference.WaterQuality in the Oklawaha Chain of Lakes: A Case Study on Problems and Limitations in Compiling Long Term Data Bases. 1985.