Michael Walter, Ph.D.   Professor and      Undergraduate Program Director	207 Riley Robb   mfw2@cornell.edu
Hydrology and water quality, rural water sheds and international development

Biography

A specialist in water management, Walter came to Cornell in 1974 after completing his graduate studies. His prior experience includes work as a civil engineer for the Bureau of Water Resources of the Illinois Division of Waterways. At Cornell he has served on the Faculty Council of Representatives and the University Council. Walter is a member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers and the Soil Conservation Society of America.

Research Interests

My research is on hydrology and water quality, with a focus on rural watersheds. A comprehensive analysis of soil and water problems should proceed from basic principles, but much of our understanding and methods of analysis of rural watersheds is based upon a fairly limited range of variables and many of the analytical solutions require empirically derived constants or relationships. Therefore, our research is directed toward better definition of basic processes and the development of analytical procedures that can be applied to solve problems.

My research includes studies of infiltration, porous media flow and runoff from shallow soils, variable area runoff, spatial variability in soil hydrologic properties, and applications of GIS hydrology. My students and I are also developing criteria for the design of improved drainage.

We have initiated a major research program in water management in tropical agriculture. We are using an interdisciplinary approach to study irrigation systems in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Venezuela, and Peru. A focus of research in West Africa will be small-scale irrigation.

Graduate students are involved in all phases of the research. We have good computer, laboratory, and field experimental facilities. Students with international interests often do their dissertations overseas.

Current Research Projects

Non-Point Source Pollution Control for Animal Agriculture (New York State Department of Environmental Protection)

Irrigation Support Project for Asia and the Near East (U.S. Agency for International Development)

Hill Area Land and Water Development Project-India (U.S. Agency for International Development)

Diversified Cropping-Philippines (International Irrigation Management Institute)

Private Tube Well Development-Pakistan (International Irrigation Management Institute)

Transport Pathways and Fate of Cryptosporidium parrum Oocryps from Infected Dairy Wastes

Professional CV

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Academic Degrees

• Ph.D., Water Resource Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
• M.S., Hydrology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
• B.S., Agricultural Engineering, University of Illinois

Professional Experience

• Undergraduate Program Director, 2008 - present
• Chair of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, 1994 - 2008
• Professor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1987 - present
• Associate Professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1979 - 1987
• Irrigation Management Advisor, USAID India, New Delhi, India, 1984 - 1985 and 1988 - 1989
• Assistant Professor, Agricultural Engineering Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1974 - 1979
• Farm Manager-Electric Research Farm, Agricultural Engineering Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 1971 - 1974
• Civil Engineer, Bureau of Water Resources, Division of Waterways, Springfield, IL, 1969 - 1971

Professional Activities

Professional Societies

• American Society of Agricultural Engineers
• American Society of Agronomy
• American Society of Engineering Educators
• American Society of Civil Engineering
• Soil Conservation Society of America

Cornell Graduate Fields

• Field of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
• Field of International Agriculture and Development
• Field of Conservation and Sustainable Development

Administrative Activities

Department

• Department Chair, 1994 - Present
• Department Extension Leader, 1995 - Present
• Graduate Field Representative, 1991 - 1994
• Master of Engineering Representative, 1989 - 1992
• Master of Professional Studies Representative, 1976 - 1982

College

• Engineering Admissions Committee, 1996 - Present
• Environmental Outreach Council, 1996 - Present
• Agriculture Council, 1994 - Present
• Community and Human Resource Council, 1994 - Present
• International Agriculture Council, 1994 - Present
• Director of Ag and Environmental Management Program, 1993 - Present
• MPS Executive Committee, 1976 - 1982

University

• Faculty Fellow, 1990-Present
• Steering Committee - Cornell Center for Environment, 1994 - 1997
• Cornell Faculty Council of Representatives, 1989 - 1994
  • FCR Executive Committee, 1991 - 1994
• Cornell Research Policy Committee, 1992 - 1996
• Cornell Senate, 1978 - 1982

Professional

• Soil Management CRSP, Board of Directors, 1997 - Present
• Research Director for Irrigation Support Project for Asia and Near East ($35M USAID Funded Project), 1987 - 1992
• USAID Project Leader, Hill Area Land and Water Development Project ($70M USAID Funded Project), 1988 - 1989
• USAID Program Advisor, India Irrigation, 1984 - 1985

Recognition and Honor Societies

• ASABE Fellow, 2003
• President’s Award, ASAE, 1994
• Outstanding Teaching Award - Cornell ASAE, 1993
• Young Engineer of the Year Award, NAR-ASAE, 1985
• Gamma Sigma Delta, 1993
• Golden Key Outstanding Faculty Award, 1992
• Alpha Epsilon, 1969
• ASAE Blue Ribbon Publications, (4)
• ASAE Technical Paper Awards, (3)

ASAE Committees

• P-210, Academic Program Administrators, 1993-Present; Chairman, 1997/1998
• P-204, Engineering and Technology Accreditation, 1994 - Present
• P-203, Undergraduate and Graduate Instruction ,1992 - 1995
• A-612, International Program Committee, 1986-Present (Chairman - 1988, 1989)
• SW-02, Soil and Water Division Steering Committee 1981 - 1982
• SW-21, Hydrology (1979 - 1982), Vice Chairman, 1979 - 1980, Chairman, 1981,1982
• SW-211, Subsurface Flow (1973 - present) Chairman, 1977-1978
• SW-224, Pollution by Sediment (1977 - 1984)
• SW-263, Disposal of Waste on Land (1974 - 1977)
• T-09, Environmental Quality Coordinating (1975 - 1976)

International Experience

• Philippines, (Field Research Development, 1996)
• Venezuela, (Upland Conservation Program, 1994)
• Philippines, (Field Research Development, 1993 - 1994)
• Sri Lanka, (Training for Sustainable Development, 1993)
• Indonesia, (Irrigation System Construction, 1993)
• Honduras, (Watershed Management, 1993)
• Indonesia, (Review of Irrigation System Construction, 1992 - 1993)
• Philippines, (Conservation Farming in Upland, 1992 - 1993)
• India, (Field Research Methods, 1992)
• Sri Lanka, (Sri Lanka Water Rights, 1992)
• Sri Lanka, (Evaluation of Agricultural Research, 1991)
• India, (Field and Action Research Workshop, 1990)
• India, (Water Resources Research Advisor - USAID, 1988 - 1989)
• India, (Project Evaluation, 1988)
• Indonesia, (Water Resources, 1987)
• Kenya, (Small Scale Irrigation Research Design, 1986)
• Rwanda, (Wetland Water Management - Research Design, 1986)
• Indonesia, (Indirect Investment in Irrigation - Field Study, 1986)
• Niger, (Watershed Management, 1986)
• Niger, (USAID Small Scale Irrigation, 1985, 1987)
• Sri Lanka (IIMI Research Priorities 1985)
• Sri Lanka, (Irrigation System Rehabilitation, 1985)
• India, (USAID Joint Career Corps - Irrigation Spec., 1984 - 1985)
• India, (USAID Irrigation Management and Training, 1984)
• Peru, (USAID Irrigation Sector Review, 1983)
• Bangladesh, (USAID Water Management Research Development Program , 1983)
• India, (Irrigation Management - Research Review, 1982)
• Nepal, (Review Graduate Student Work on Traditional Irrigation Systems Management)
• Sri Lanka, (USAID Irrigation Sector Review, 1982)
• Philippines, (Review Graduate Student Work on Government Irrigation System Management, 1982)
• Venezuela, (Regional Drainage Project near Santo Domingo/Paraguay Rivers, 1982)

Selected Consulting

• John Wiley & Sons, Publishers, Book Reviews
• USDA-SCS, Washington, DC, Water Quality Chapter in Field Manual
• US-EPA, Washington, DC, National Agricultural Clean Water Program Evaluation
• Caura Ingenieros Acociados, Caracus, Venezuela, Regional Agricultural Drainage Development
• Maryland Department of Health, Baltimore, MD, Comprehensive Watershed Planning
• Venezuela Ministry of Environment, Land Drainage
• Maryland Department of Health, Baltimore, MD Water Quality Monitoring
• USDA-SCS, Washington, DC, Water Quality Control Practices for Irrigated and Non-irrigated Land
• USDA-SCS, Washington, DC, Soil and Water Resources Conservation
• USDA-SCS, Washington, DC, Rural Clean Water Program
• USDA-SCS,Lincoln, NE; Corvallis,OR; Athens, GA; Broomal, PA; Water Quality Workshops
• Office of Water Resources, Burlington, VT, Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution
• Illinois tollway Authority, Aurora, IL, Tollway Impact on Agricultural Drainage
• Anderson - Nichols, Palo Alto, CA, Water Quality Simulation

Community Activities

• Association for Adoptive Families, 4-H Leader

General Areas of Endeavor

Research Programs

• Tropical Water Management and Irrigation - Watershed Management
• Soil Erosion and Sedimentation
• Pollutant Movement from Agricultural Land

Extension Programs

• Nonpoint Source Pollution Control
• Watershed Management
• Irrigation Water Management

Instruction (Courses Taught)

• Cornell 101, Introduction to Cornell, 1996
• ENGR 150, Introduction to Engineering, 1997 - 2006
• ABEN 151, Engineering Measurements, 1976 - 1977
• ABEN 321, Soil and Water Conservation, 1978 - 1994
• ABEN 471, Soil and Water Engineering, 1980 - 1984
• ABEN 473, Watershed Engineering, 1992 - 1997
• ABEN 474, Drainage and Irrigation Design, 1992 - 1995
• ABEN 493, Technical Writing, 1999 - 2005
• ABEN 672, Agricultural Drainage, 1988 - 1990
• ABEN 673, Irrigation Systems, 1986 - 1994
• ABEN 754, Sociotechnical Aspects of Irrigation, 1983 - 1997
• ALS 469, Agriculture, Society and the Environment (Section on Engineering), 1988
• BEE172, Faces and Feuds of Farming, 2006-Present

 

Selected Publications

1. Geohring, L.D., Lee, S., Wright, P.E., Steenhuis, T.S., Walter, M.F. 2005. Drainage Water Quality Response to Liquid Manure Application. ASAE Paper No. 05-2065. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASAE.
2. Malvicini, C.F., T.S. Steenhuis, M.T. Walter, M.F. Walter. Oct 2005. Evaluation of spring flow in uplands of Matalom, Leyte, Philippines. Adv. Water Resources. 28(10):1083-1090.
3. Walter, M.T., V.K. Mehta, A.M. Monrone, J.Boll, P. Gerard-Merchant, T.S. Steenhuis, M.F. Walter. Mar-Apr 2005. Closure: A simple estimation of the prevalence of Hortonian flow in New York City’s watersheds. ASCE J. Hydrol. Eng. 10(2):169-170.
4. Hanson, D.L., T.S. Steenhuis, M.F. Walter, et al. Jul-Aug 2004. Effects of soil degradation and management practices on the surface water dynamics in the Talgua River Watershed in Honduras. Land Degrad. Develop. 15(4):367-381.
5. Mehta, V.K., M.T. Walter, E.S. Brooks, T.S. Steenhuis, M.F. Walter, M. Johnson, J. Boll, D. Thengs. Jun 2004. Application of SMR to modeling watersheds in the Catskill Mountains. Envir. Modeling and Assessment. 9(2):77-89.
6. Mehta, V.K., M.T. Walter, E.S. Brooks, T.S. Steenhuis, M.F. Walter, M. Johnson, J. Boll, D. Thengs. 2003 Evaluation and application of SMR for watershed modeling in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Land Degrad. Develop. 15: 367-381, 2004.
7. Valdivia, M.V., M.T. Walter, C.D. Salmon, L.O. Hedin, M.F. Walter. Hydrochemical modeling of dissolved organic carbon in a small, undisturbed, forested watershed in southern Chile. (H51D-1174) AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. December 13-17, 2004.
8. Walter, M.T., V.K. Mehta, A.M. Marrone, J. Boll, P. Gerard-Marchant, T.S. Steenhuis, M.F. Walter. Simple estimation of prevalence of Hortonian flow in New York City watersheds. J. Hydrol. Eng. 8(4):214-218. Jul-Aug, 2001.
9. Scott, C.A., Walter, M.F., G.N. Nagle, M.T. Walter, N.V. Sierra, E.S. Brooks. Residual phosphorus in runoff from successional forest on abandoned agricultural land: 1. Biologeochemical and hydrological processes. Biogeochemistry 55: 293-309, 2001.
10. Scott, C.A., M.F. Walter. Residual phosphorus in runoff from successional forest on abandoned agricultural land: 2. Hydrological and soluble reactive P Budgets. Biochemistry 55(3):311-325, 2001.
11. Geohring, L.D., O.V. McHugh, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis, M. S. Akhtar, M.F. Walter. Phosphorus transport into subsurface drains by macropores after manure applications: Implications for best manure management practices. Soil Sci. 166(12):896-909. Dec. 2001.
12. Walter, M.T., J.Y. Parlange, M. Walter, X. Xin and C. Scott. Modeling pollutant release from a surface source during rainfall runoff. J. Envir. Qual 30(1) 151-159. Jan-Feb. 2001
13. Norman, W. R., Walter, M. Todd, Michael F. Walter. 2000. Water Distribution Management in Small West African Canal Systems. J. of Irrigation and Drainage Eng. Sep/Oct. 2000 V.126/5
14. Walter, M.T., Brooks, E.S., Walter, M.F., Steenhuis, T.S., Scott, C.A., Boll, J.A. Hydrologically sensitive areas: Variable source area hydrology implications for water quality with assessment. J. Soil Water Conserv. 55(3) 277-284. 2000.
15. Geohring, L.D., Wright, P.E., Steenhuis, T.S., Walter, M.F., Fecal Coliforms in Subsurface Drains after Manure Application. Submitted to: J. of Env. Quality. 2000. Walter, M.T., M.F. Walter. NYC Watershed Ag Program – WAP. Water Res. Impact. Vol. 1(5) 5-8. Sept. 1999.
16. Steenhuis, T.S., J.Y. Parlange, W.E. Sanford, A. Heilig, F. Stagnitti and M.F. Walter. Comment on: . Can we distinguish Richards’ and Boussinesq’s equations for hillslopes?: The Coweeta experiment revisited. Water Resources Research. Vol. 35:(11) 3575-2576. Nov. 1999.
17. Steenhuis, T.S. J. –Y. Parlange, W.E. Sanford, A. Heilig, F. Stagnitti, and M.F. Walter. Can we distinguish Richards’ and Boussinesq’s equations for hillslopes?: The Coweeta experiment revisited. Water Resources Research. Vol. 35(2), pp. 589-593. Feb. 1999.
18. Frankenburger, J. R., E. S. Brooks, M. T. Walter, M. F. Walter and T. S. Steenhuis. A GIS-Based Variable Source Area Hydrology Model. Hydrologic Processes. Hydrol. Process. 13:(6) 805-823. 1999. Wells, J.C. and M.F. Walter. 1999. Experiments on entry of a rough circular cylinder into water. Applications to rainsplash eroision of soil. Annual Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. Vol. 43(Feb):785-790.
19. Scott, C.A., L.D. Geohring, M.F. Walter. 1998. Water quality impacts of tile drains in shallow, sloping structured soils as affected by manure applications. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. Vol. 14(6): 599-603. Chandler, D.G., M.F. Walter. 1998. Runoff responses among common land uses in the uplands of Matalom, Leyte, Philippines. ASAE Trans. Vol. 41(6):1635-1641.
20. Brush, C.F., M.F. Walter, L.J. Anguish, W.C. Ghiorse. 1998. Influence of pretreatment and experimental conditions on electrophoretic mobility and hydrophobicity of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Vol. 64, No. 11. Nov. p. 4439-4445
21. Weiler, K.R., M.T. Walter, E.S. Brooks, and C.A. Scott. 1998. Temporally dependent risk analysis for flood plains in the Delaware River Basin. ASCE. J. Water Resource Planning and Management.
22. Scott, C.A., M. F. Walter, E.S. Brooks, J. Boll, M.B. Hes, M. D. Merrill. Historical Changes in Land Use and Dairy Herds on Water Quality in the Catskills Mountains. J. Environmental Quality. J. Environ. Qual. 27:1410-1417. 1998.
23. Walter, M.F. 1998. Book Review. Land and Water Development in the Asia-Pacific Region, V.V.N. Murth and K. Takeuchi, Science Publishers, Inc., Lebanon, NH. Agricultural Water Management 33 (1997) 211-212.
24. Johnson, A., G., T. Morrow, and M. Walter. Enhancing Learning through Cooperative Course Offerings. ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings. 1998.

ASAE Papers

• Rossing, J.M. and M.F. Walter. 1995. Hydrologically-based Identification of Critical Areas for Water Quality Protection in the New York City Watershed. ASAE Paper No. 95-2580.