Todd Walter, Ph.D.   Associate Professor   Profile and CV	222 Riley Robb   mtw5@cornell.edu   Web site
Ecohydrology and environmental transport processes

Biography

Todd is a graduate of the Biological and Environmental Engineering department (BS 1990). He also earned a Masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell (1991) and a PhD in Engineering Science from Washington State University (1995). His specialization is hydrology with particular emphases in cold-regions processes, hydrological controls on environmental transport, and watershed modeling. Although his research experience spans a wide spectrum of water resources topics, much of his work deals with improving our understanding of how chemicals move through agricultural and forest landscapes. He defines his professional niche along the boundary of ecology and hydrology. He has been an assistant professor at the University of Montana Northern and the University of Alaska Southeast. He has worked with Dr. Lars Hedin (Princeton) in Chile, looking at the interactions between hydrological and biogeochemcial processes. He also is currently working with Dr. Tammo Steenhuis (Cornell) and a research team encompassing several agencies and Penn State University to investigate agricultural nutrient movement in the NYC watersheds. Todd is an active member of ASAE, ASCE, and AGU.

Professional CV

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Click here for Dr. Walter's professional web site

EDUCATION

1995                 Ph.D.               Washington State University, Biosystems Engineering

1991                 M.S.                 Cornell University, Civil & Environmental Engineering

1990                 B.S.                 Cornell University Agric. & Biological Engineering

 

ACADEMIC RANKS

Assistant Professor: 2005

Senior Research Associate: 2001

 

PRIMARY DEPARTMENTAL UNIT

Soil and Water Engineering / Hydrology and Ecohydrology

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Hydrology, Ecohydrology, Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Environmental Biophysics, Teaching

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2005-present,  Assistant Professor, Cornell University

2001 – 2005, Senior Research Associate, Cornell University 2

2001 - Present, Affiliate Faculty Member, University of Alaska Southeast

1999 - 2001 Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Southeast

1999,  Assistant Professor, Montana State University Northern

1997-2001, Research Associate, Cornell University

1995-1997,  Instructor, Cornell University

1995, Instructor, SUNY Brockport

 

TEACHING AND ADVISING RESPONSIBILITIES

 Courses Taught

BEE 371, Hydrology and the Environment

BEE 473, Watershed Engineering

BEE 493, Technical Writing for Engineers

BEE 496, Capstone Design in Biological & Environmental Engineering

BEE 694, Ecohydrology

BEE/NTRS/HORT 4/694, Stream Restoration (w/ Flecker, Kraft, Whitlow, Nagle)

BEE 700, Biological and Environmental Engineering Seminar

BEE 771, Soil and Water Lab Seminar (w/ Steenhuis)

Educational Innovations Developed Including; Web-Based Materials; New Courses Developed, etc.

Developing textbook for BEE 473 BEE 473 website: hive.bee.cornell.edu/faculty/walter/BEE473home.htm BEE 371 website: hive.bee.cornell.edu/faculty/walter/BEE371Index.htm

BEE 694 website: temporarily down for revisions. New Courses Developed: BEE 694, Ecohydrology BEE 4/694, Stream Restoration

 

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)

Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS)

Cornell Engineering Society

PROFESSIONAL HONORARIES

Alpha Epsilon, the Honor Society of Agricultural, Food,, and Biological Engineering Engineer in Training (EIT),

Working towards a PE

EDITORIAL BOARDS

Co-Ed. w/ J.-Yves Parlange, special edition of the journal, TRANSPORT IN POROUS MEDIA

COMMISIONED PAPERS

Lead author of a paper commissioned by the Soil and Water Conservation Service: Walter, M.T., M. Dosskey, M. Khanna, J. Miller, M. Tomer, John Wiens. The science of targeting within landscapes and watersheds to improve conservation effectiveness. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Special Issue (to be published in 2007)

PROPOSAL REVEWIER

NSF-EAR Hydrology

BARD: United States - Israel Binational Agricultural Research & Development Fund

US Geological Survey

NASA

Nutrient Management Joint Research Program (Ontario Ministry of Ag., Food, & Rural Affairs)

PEER REVIEWER

>10 manuscripts from a wide range of water resources, biogeochemistry, and hydrology journals.

 

Refereed Publications

1. Easton, Z.M., Gérard-Marchant, P., M.T. Walter, A.M. Petrovic, T.S. Steenhuis. 2007. Hydrologic assessment of an urban variable source watershed in the Northeast United States. Water Resources Research (in press).
2. Schneiderman, E.M., T.S. Steenhuis, D.J. Thongs, Z.M. Easton, M.S. Zion, A.L. Neal*, G.F. Mendoza, M.T. Walter. 2007. Incorporating variable source area hydrology into Curve Number based watershed loading functions. Hydrological Processes (in press).
3. Walter, M.T., J.-Y. Parlange, P.C.A. Raats. 2007. Vadose zone dynamics and the legacy of Wilford R. Gardner. Transport in Porous Media (in press).
4. Agnew, L.J., S. Lyon, P. Gérard-Marchant, V.B. Collins, A.J. Lembo, T.S. Steenhuis, M.T. Walter. 2006. Identifying hydrologically sensitive areas: Bridging science and application. Journal of Environmental Management 78: 64-76.
5. Collick A.S., E.A. Fogarty, P.E. Ziegler, M.T. Walter, D.D. Bowman, T.S. Steenhuis. 2006. Survival of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in calf housing facilities in the New York City watersheds. Journal of Environmental Quality 35(2): 680-687.
6. Heilig, A., D. DeBruyn*, M.T. Walter, C.W. Rose, J.-Y. Parlange, T.S. Steenhuis, G.C. Sander, P.B. Hairsine, W.L. Hogarth, L.P. Walker. 2006. Corrigendum: Testing a mechanistic soil erosion model with a simple experiment. Journal of Hydrology 317: 171-172.
7. Lyon, S.W., A.J. Lembo, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 2006. Defining probability of saturation with indicator kriging on hard and soft data. Advances in Water Resources 29(2): 181-193.
8. Lyon, S.W., M. McHale, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 2006. Effect of runoff generation mechanism on estimating land use control of P concentrations. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 42(3) 793-804.
9. Lyon, S.W., J. Seibert, A.J. Lembo, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 2006. Geostatistical investigation into the temporal evolution of spatial structure in a shallow water table. Hydrology and Earth System Science (HESS) 10: 113-125.
10. Lyon, S.W., A.J. Lembo, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 2006. Internet mapping tools make scientific applications easy. EOS 87(38): 386.
11. Nieber, J.L., T.S. Steenhuis, M.T. Walter, M. Bakker. 2006 Enhancement of seepage and lateral preferential flow by biopores on hillslopes. Biologia (Special Issue, Biohydrology: Impact of biological factors on soil hydrology) 61(19): S225-S228.
12. Shaw, S.B., M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 2006. A physical model of particulate wash-off from rough impervious surfaces. Journal of Hydrology 327(3-4): 618-626.
13. Tripler, C, S.S. Kaushal, G.E. Likens, M.T. Walter. 2006. Environmental change and the role of potassium in forested ecosystems. Ecology Letters 9: 451-466.
14. Gao, B., M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis, J.-Y. Parlange, B.K. Richards, W.L. Hogarth, C.W. Rose, G. Sander. 2005. Investigating raindrop effects on the transport of sediment and non-sorbed chemicals from soil to surface runoff. Journal of Hydrology 308: 313-320.
15. Gérard-Marchant, P., M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 2005. Simple models of phosphorus release during rainfall. Journal of Environmental Quality 34: 872-876.
16. Hogarth, W.L., J.-Y. Parlange, C.W. Rose, C. Fuentes, R. Haverkamp, M.T. Walter. 2005. Interpolation between Darcy-Weisbach and Darcy for laminar and turbulent flows. Advances in Water Resources 28(10):1028-1031.
17. Malvicini, C.F., T.S. Steenhuis, MT. Walter, M.F. Walter, J.-Y. Parlange. 2005. Evaluation of spring flow in the uplands of Matalom, Leyte, Philippines. Advances in Water Resources 28(10):1083-1090.
18. Sinkevich, M.G., M.T. Walter, A.J. Lembo, B.K. Richards, N. Peranginangin, S.A. Aburime, T.S. Steenhuis. 2005. A physically-based tool for risk assessment of groundwater contamination. Groundwater Monitoring & Remediation 25(4): 82-91.
19. Walter, M.T., E.S. Brooks, D.K. McCool, L.G. King, M. Molnau, J. Boll. 2005. Process-based snowmelt modeling: Does it require more input data than temperature-index modeling? Journal of Hydrology 300(1-4): 65-75.
20. Walter, M.T., P. Gérard-Merchant, T.S. Steenhuis, M.F. Walter. 2005. Closure: A simple estimation of the prevalence of Hortonian flow in New York City’s watersheds. ASCE J. of Hydrologic Engineering 10(2): 169-170.
21. Walter, M.T. and D.K. McCool. 2005. Closure: A simple snowdrift model for distributed hydrological modeling. ASCE J. of Hydrologic Engineering 10(6): 524-525.
22. Walter, M.T. and S.B. Shaw. 2005. Discussion: “Curve number hydrology in water quality modeling: Uses, abuses, and future directions” by Garen and Moore. J. American Water Resources Assoc. 41(6): 1491-1492.
23. Diess, J.*, (alphabetically) C.A. Byers, D. Clover, D. D’Amore, A. Love, M. Menzies, J. Powell, M.T. Walter. 2004. Transport of lead and diesel fuel through a peat soil near Juneau, AK: A pilot study. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 74: 1-18.
24. Gao, B., M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis, W.L. Hogarth, J.-Y. Parlange. 2004. Rainfall induced chemical transport from soil to runoff: Theory and experiments. Journal of Hydrology 295(1-4): 291-304.
25. Lyon, S.W., P. Gérard-Marcant, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 2004. Using a topographic index to distribute variable source area runoff predicted with the SCS-Curve Number equation. Hydrological Processes 18(15): 2757-2771.
26. Mehta, V.K., M.T. Walter, E.S. Brooks, T.S. Steenhuis, M.F. Walter, M. Johnson, J. Boll, D. Thongs. 2004. Evaluation and application of SMR for watershed modeling in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Environmental Modeling & Assessment 9(2): 77-89.
27. Rose, C.W., B. Gao, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis, J.-Y. Parlange, K. Nakano, W.L. Hogarth. 2004. Reply to comment on ‘Investigating ponding depth and soil detachability for a mechanistic erosion model using a simple experiment’ given by P.I.A. Kinnell. Journal of Hydrology 289(1-4): 307-308.
28. Walter, M.T., D.K. McCool, L.G. King, M. Molnau, G.S. Campbell. 2004. A simple snowdrift model for distributed hydrological modeling. ASCE J. of Hydrologic Engineering 9(4): 280-287.
29. Walter, M.T., D. Wilks, J.-Y. Parlange, R.L. Schnieder. 2004. Increasing evapotranspiration from the conterminous U.S. Journal of Hydrometeorology 5(3): 405-408.
30. Gao, B., M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis, J.-Y. Parlange, K. Nakano, C.W. Rose, W.L. Hogarth. 2003. Investigating ponding water depth and soil detachability for a mechanistic erosion model using a simple experiment. Journal of Hydrology 277(1-2): 116-124.
31. Heilig, A., T.S. Steenhuis, M.T. Walter, S. Herbert. 2003. Funneled flow mechanisms in layered soil: Field investigation. Journal of Hydrology 279: 210-223.
32. Kendy, E., P. Gérard-Marchant, M.T. Walter, Y. Zhang, C. Liu, T.S. Steenhuis. 2003. A soil-water-balance approach to quantifying groundwater recharge from irrigated cropland in the North China Plain. Hydrological Processes 17(10): 2011-2031.
33. Mendoza, G.F., M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis, J.-Y. Parlange. 2003. Estimating basin-wide hydraulic parameters of a semi-arid mountainous watershed by recession-flow analysis. Journal of Hydrology 279: 57-69.
34. Walter, M.T., V.K. Mehta, A.M. Marrone*, J. Boll, P. Gérard-Merchant, T.S. Steenhuis, M.F. Walter. 2003. A simple estimation of the prevalence of Hortonian flow in New York City’s watersheds. ASCE J. of Hydrologic Engineering 8(4): 214-218.
35. Neal, E.G., M.T. Walter, C. Coffeen*. 2002. Linking the Pacific Decadal Oscillation to seasonal stream discharge patterns in Southeast Alaska. Journal of Hydrology 263(1-4): 188-197.
36. Walter, M.T., T.S. Steenhuis, V.K. Mehta, D. Thongs, M. Zion, E. Schneiderman. 2002. Refined conceptualization of TOPMODEL for shallow subsurface flows. Hydrological. Processes 16(10): 2041-2046.
37. Geohring, L.D., O.V. McHugh, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. M.S. Akhtar. M.F. Walter. 2001. Phosphorus transport into subsurface drains by macropores after manure applications: Implications for best manure management practices. Soil Science 166(12): 896-909.
38. Heilig, A., D. DeBruyn*, M.T. Walter, C.W. Rose, J.-Y. Parlange, T.S. Steenhuis, G.C. Sander, P.B. Hairsine, W.L. Hogarth, L.P. Walker. 2001. Testing a mechanistic soil erosion model with a simple experiment. Journal of Hydrology 244: 9-16.
39. Salmon, C.D.*, M.T. Walter, L.O. Hedin, M.G. Brown. 2001. Hydrological controls on chemical export from a pristine old-growth forest in Chile. Journal of Hydrology 253(1-4): 69-80.
40. Scott, C.A., M.F. Walter, G.N. Nagle, M.T. Walter, N.V. Sierra*, E.S. Brooks. 2001. Residual phosphorus in runoff from a successional forest on abandoned agricultural land: Biogeochemical and hydrological processes. Biogeochemistry 55(3): 293-309.
41. Steenhuis, T.S., J. Caldero Rivera*, C.J. Martinez Hernadez*, M.T. Walter, R.B. Bryant, P. Nectarios. 2001. Water repellency in New York State soils. J. International Turfgrass Soc. 9:624-628.
42. Walter, M.T., E.S. Brooks, M.F. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis, C.A. Scott, J.Boll. 2001. Evaluation of soluble phosphorus transport from manure-applied fields under various spreading strategies. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 56(4): 329-336.
43. Walter, M.T., J.-Y. Parlange, M.F. Walter, X. Xin, C.A. Scott. 2001. Modeling pollutant release from a surface source during rainfall-runoff. Journal of Environmental Quality 30(1): 151-159.
44. Norman, W.R., M.T. Walter, M.F. Walter, E.S. Brooks. 2000. Irrigation distribution and rotation methods among gravity flow systems of the West African Sahel. ASCE Div. of Irrigation and Drainage. 126(5): 304-313.
45. Walter, M.T., M.F. Walter, E.S. Brooks, T.S. Steenhuis, J. Boll, K.R. Weiler. 2000. Hydrologically sensitive areas: Variable source area hydrology implications for water quality risk assessment. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 3: 277-284.
46. Walter, M.T., J.-S. Kim, T.S. Steenhuis J.-Y. Parlange, A. Heilig, R.D. Braddock, J. Selker, J. Boll. 2000. Funneled flow mechanisms in sloping layered soil: Laboratory investigation. Water Resources Research 34(4): 841-849. 
47. Weiler, K.R., M.T. Walter, M.F. Walter, E.S. Brooks, C.A. Scott. 2000. Temporally dependent risk analysis for flood plains in the Delaware River basin. ASCE J. of Water Resources Planning and Management 126(5): 320-329.
48. Frankenberger, J.R., E.S. Brooks, M.T. Walter, M.F. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 1999. A GIS-based variable source area model. Hydrological Processes 13(6): 804-822.
49. Walter, M.T., P. Mutch, C.D. Salmon*, D.K. McCool, L.O. Hedin. 1999. Digitizing chart recorder data: Coordinate system conversion for rain gages and similar recording instruments. J. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 16(8): 1138-1142.
50. Walter, M.T. and M.F. Walter. 1999. The New York City Watershed Agricultural Program (WAP): A model for comprehensive planning for water quality and agricultural economic Viability. Water Resources Impact 1(5): 5-8.
51. McCool, D.K. M.T. Walter, L.G. King. 1995. Runoff index values for frozen soil areas in the Pacific Northwest. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 50(5): 466-469.

 

Other Publications

1. Steenhuis, T.S., L. Agnew, P. Gerard-Marchant, M.T. Walter. 2005. In Overland flow. In: D. Hillel (ed). Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment. Vol. 3: pp 130-134 Elsevier Ltd., Oxford, U.K.
2. Dittrich, T.M., L.D. Geohring, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis. 2003. Revisiting buffer strip design standards for removing dissolved and particulate phosphorus. In: Total Maximum Daily Load Environmental Regulations II Conference Proceedings, Nov. 8-12, 2003, Albuquerque, NM. ASAE Publication 701P1503, ASAE, St. Joseph, MI. pp. 527-534.
3. Peranginangin, N., B.K. Richards, M.T. Walter, L.D. Goehring, T.S. Steenhuis. 2003. Preferential Flow Website: Education and Extension Module.
4. Powell, J., D. D’Amore, R. Thompson, T. Brock, P. Huberth, B. Bigelow, M.T. Walter. 2003. Operational Draft Guidebook for Assessing the Functions of Riverine and Slope Proximal Wetlands in Coastal Southeast Alaska Using the HGM Approach. AK Dept. of Envir. Conserv./ U.S. Army Corps of Engr. Waterways Expt. Station Tech. Report: WRP-DE-_.
5. Powell, J.E., R. Thompson, T. Brock, P. Huberth, B. Bigelow, D.V. D’Amore, M.T.Walter. 2003. Operational Draft Guidebook for Assessing the Functions for Riverine and River Proximal Slope Wetlands in Coastal Southeast and Southwestern Alaska Using the HGM Approach. AK Dept. of Envir. Conserv. / U.S. Army Corps of Engr. Waterways Expt. Station Technical Report: WRP-DE-__.
6. Steenhuis, T.S., G. Mendoza, S.W. Lyon, P. Gèrard-Marchant, M.T. Walter, E. Schneiderman. 2003. Distributed GIS based runoff predictions for variable source watersheds using the SCS-Curve Number. EGS Geophyscial Abstracts 5, 01628, 2003.
7. Geohring, L.D., T.S. Steenhuis, M.T. Walter, M.F. Walter, Q.M. Ketterings, K.J. Czymmek. 2002. Phosphorus risk assessment tools for New York State. ASAE-CIGR Paper 0022071, ASAE Annual International Meeting / CIGR XVth World Congress, July 28-31, Chicago, IL. Hall, J., J.
8. Powell, T. Rockwell, S. Carrick, G. Hollands, M.T. Walter, J. White. 2001. Operational Draft Guidebook for Assessing the Functions of Slope/Flat Wetland Complexes in the Lower Kenai River Drainage Basin Using the HGM Approach. AK Dept. of Envir. Conserv./ U.S. Army Corps of Engr. Waterways Expt. Station Tech. Report: WRP-DE-_.
9. Klien, C*, M.T. Walter, T.S. Steenhuis, S.W. Lyon*. 2001. Hydrological and land use controls on phosphorus distribution and movement in upland landscapes. In: Geoenvironmental Impact Management, (eds. Young and Thomas). Proc. 3rd British Geotechnical Assoc. and Cardiff Univ. Geoenvironmental Engineering Conference, Sept. 17-19, Edinburgh. 525-530.
10. Parlange, J.-Y., T.S. Steenhuis, A. Heilig, M.T. Walter, D. DeBruyn*, G.C. Sander, P.B. Hairsine, W.L. Hogarth. 2001. Soil erosion processes: Laboratory observations and modeling. Proc. International Symposium: Soil Erosion Research for the 21st Century. (eds. Ascough II and Flanagan). Jan. 3-5, Honolulu, Hawaii. ASAE. 2950 Niles Road, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085-9659, USA: 1-3.
11. Walter, M.T. 1996. Origins of surface runoff. Cornell University. Water Courses 3(3): 8-9.
12. Walter, M.T. 1995. Winter-Time Hydrological Modeling Over a Three Dimensional Landscape. Ph.D. Dissertation in Engineering Science. Washington State University. Biosystems Engineering Department. pp. 97. Walter, M.T. 1991. Collection of a Groundwater Contaminant Plume. Masters Project in Hydrology and Hydraulics. M.Eng. Report. Cornell University. Civil and Environmental Engineering.