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Matthew A Pronschinske

Matthew Pronschinske is a Hydrologist with the Upper Midwest Water Science Center.

Areas of Expertise 

  • Aquatic toxicity assessment 

  • Evaluation of pharmaceutical contamination 

  • Analysis of the effects of agricultural best management practice on water quality 

  • R programming 

  • GIS 

Professional Experience

  • 2019 – present: Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

  • 2018: Hydrology Pathways Intern, U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center

  • 2017: Soil Conservation Pathways Intern, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Boone, IA

Education and Certifications

  • B.S. in Environmental and Biology, minor in Geographic Information Science – Iowa State University, 2019

Science and Products

Scientist sampling water in stream in early spring.
Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin
Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin
Scientist sampling water in stream in early spring.

Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin

Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin

USGS scientist collecting a baseflow sample to test for organic contaminants (pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and organic waste compounds), with crest stage gage in the foreground at Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/04087220/

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Scientist sampling water in stream in early spring.

Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin

Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin

USGS scientist collecting a baseflow sample to test for organic contaminants (pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and organic waste compounds), with crest stage gage in the foreground at Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/04087220/

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Arched bridge over lake channel in rural Wisconsin surrounded by green vegetation
Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin
Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin
Arched bridge over lake channel in rural Wisconsin surrounded by green vegetation

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Arched bridge over lake channel in rural Wisconsin surrounded by green vegetation

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center
The tip of a kayak in the bottom left of the photo looks toward a lake with trees and vegetation on shore
Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin
Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin
The tip of a kayak in the bottom left of the photo looks toward a lake with trees and vegetation on shore

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin.

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
The tip of a kayak in the bottom left of the photo looks toward a lake with trees and vegetation on shore

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin.

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

A multi-marker assessment of sewage contamination in streams using human-associated indicator bacteria, human-specific viruses, and pharmaceuticals

Human sewage contaminates waterways, delivering excess nutrients, pathogens, chemicals, and other toxic contaminants. Contaminants and various sewage indicators are measured to monitor and assess water quality, but these analytes vary in their representation of sewage contamination and the inferences about water quality they support. We measured the occurrence and concentration of multiple microbi
Authors
Peter L. Lenaker, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Steven R. Corsi, Joel P. Stokdyk, Hayley Olds, Deborah K. Dila, Sandra L. McLellan
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Evaluating pharmaceuticals and other organic contaminants in the Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes using risk-based screening techniques

In an investigation of pharmaceutical contamination in the Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes (hereafter referred to as “the Chain”), few contaminants were detected; only eight pharmaceuticals and one pesticide were identified among the 110 pharmaceuticals and other organic contaminants monitored in surface water samples. This study, conducted in cooperation with the Lac du Flambeau Tribe’s Water Reso
Authors
Matthew A. Pronschinske, Steven R. Corsi, Celeste Hockings
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Assessment of conservation management practices on water quality and observed trends in the Plum Creek Basin, 2010–20

The U.S. Geological Survey and University of Wisconsin–Green Bay collected hydrologic and water-quality data to assess the effectiveness of agricultural conservation management practice (CMP) implementation at mainstem Plum Creek and west Plum Creek in northeastern Wisconsin. These two subbasins cover 88 percent of the Plum Creek Basin (Hydrologic Unit Code 12), which is a subbasin of the lower Fo
Authors
Judy A. Horwatich, Kevin Fermanich, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Dale M. Robertson, Sarah Kussow, Luke C. Loken, Paul C. Reneau, Jeremy Freund, Matthew J. Komiskey
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

A framework for prioritizing contaminants in retrospective ecological assessments: Application in the Milwaukee Estuary (Milwaukee, WI)

Watersheds are subjected to diverse anthropogenic inputs, exposing aquatic biota to a wide range of chemicals. Detection of multiple, different chemicals can challenge natural resource managers who often have to determine where to allocate potentially limited resources. Here, we describe a weight-of-evidence framework for retrospectively prioritizing aquatic contaminants. To demonstrate framework
Authors
Erin M Maloney, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Brett R Blackewell, Kelsey Vitense, Steven R. Corsi, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Kathleen Jensen, Gerald T. Ankley
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Prioritizing pharmaceutical contaminants in Great Lakes tributaries using risk-based screening techniques

In a study of 44 diverse sampling sites across 16 Great Lakes tributaries, 110 pharmaceuticals were detected of 257 monitored. The present study evaluated the ecological relevance of detected chemicals and identified heavily impacted areas to help inform resource managers and guide future investigations. Ten pharmaceuticals (caffeine, nicotine, albuterol, sulfamethoxazole, venlafaxine, acetaminoph
Authors
Matthew A. Pronschinske, Steven R. Corsi, Laura A. DeCicco, Edward Furlong, Gerald T. Ankley, Brett R. Blackwell, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Peter L. Lenaker, Michelle A. Nott
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Science and Products

Scientist sampling water in stream in early spring.
Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin
Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin
Scientist sampling water in stream in early spring.

Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin

Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin

USGS scientist collecting a baseflow sample to test for organic contaminants (pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and organic waste compounds), with crest stage gage in the foreground at Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/04087220/

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Scientist sampling water in stream in early spring.

Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin

Sampling for organic contaminants/Stream Health Synthesis in Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin

USGS scientist collecting a baseflow sample to test for organic contaminants (pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and organic waste compounds), with crest stage gage in the foreground at Root River near Franklin, Wisconsin. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/04087220/

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Arched bridge over lake channel in rural Wisconsin surrounded by green vegetation
Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin
Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin
Arched bridge over lake channel in rural Wisconsin surrounded by green vegetation

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Arched bridge over lake channel in rural Wisconsin surrounded by green vegetation

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Bridge over channel between Fence Lake and Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center
The tip of a kayak in the bottom left of the photo looks toward a lake with trees and vegetation on shore
Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin
Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin
The tip of a kayak in the bottom left of the photo looks toward a lake with trees and vegetation on shore

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin.

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
The tip of a kayak in the bottom left of the photo looks toward a lake with trees and vegetation on shore

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin

Looking towards Long Interlaken Lake from Flambeau Lake on a kayak in Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes, Wisconsin.

By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

A multi-marker assessment of sewage contamination in streams using human-associated indicator bacteria, human-specific viruses, and pharmaceuticals

Human sewage contaminates waterways, delivering excess nutrients, pathogens, chemicals, and other toxic contaminants. Contaminants and various sewage indicators are measured to monitor and assess water quality, but these analytes vary in their representation of sewage contamination and the inferences about water quality they support. We measured the occurrence and concentration of multiple microbi
Authors
Peter L. Lenaker, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Steven R. Corsi, Joel P. Stokdyk, Hayley Olds, Deborah K. Dila, Sandra L. McLellan
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Evaluating pharmaceuticals and other organic contaminants in the Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes using risk-based screening techniques

In an investigation of pharmaceutical contamination in the Lac du Flambeau Chain of Lakes (hereafter referred to as “the Chain”), few contaminants were detected; only eight pharmaceuticals and one pesticide were identified among the 110 pharmaceuticals and other organic contaminants monitored in surface water samples. This study, conducted in cooperation with the Lac du Flambeau Tribe’s Water Reso
Authors
Matthew A. Pronschinske, Steven R. Corsi, Celeste Hockings
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Assessment of conservation management practices on water quality and observed trends in the Plum Creek Basin, 2010–20

The U.S. Geological Survey and University of Wisconsin–Green Bay collected hydrologic and water-quality data to assess the effectiveness of agricultural conservation management practice (CMP) implementation at mainstem Plum Creek and west Plum Creek in northeastern Wisconsin. These two subbasins cover 88 percent of the Plum Creek Basin (Hydrologic Unit Code 12), which is a subbasin of the lower Fo
Authors
Judy A. Horwatich, Kevin Fermanich, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Dale M. Robertson, Sarah Kussow, Luke C. Loken, Paul C. Reneau, Jeremy Freund, Matthew J. Komiskey
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

A framework for prioritizing contaminants in retrospective ecological assessments: Application in the Milwaukee Estuary (Milwaukee, WI)

Watersheds are subjected to diverse anthropogenic inputs, exposing aquatic biota to a wide range of chemicals. Detection of multiple, different chemicals can challenge natural resource managers who often have to determine where to allocate potentially limited resources. Here, we describe a weight-of-evidence framework for retrospectively prioritizing aquatic contaminants. To demonstrate framework
Authors
Erin M Maloney, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Brett R Blackewell, Kelsey Vitense, Steven R. Corsi, Matthew A. Pronschinske, Kathleen Jensen, Gerald T. Ankley
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center

Prioritizing pharmaceutical contaminants in Great Lakes tributaries using risk-based screening techniques

In a study of 44 diverse sampling sites across 16 Great Lakes tributaries, 110 pharmaceuticals were detected of 257 monitored. The present study evaluated the ecological relevance of detected chemicals and identified heavily impacted areas to help inform resource managers and guide future investigations. Ten pharmaceuticals (caffeine, nicotine, albuterol, sulfamethoxazole, venlafaxine, acetaminoph
Authors
Matthew A. Pronschinske, Steven R. Corsi, Laura A. DeCicco, Edward Furlong, Gerald T. Ankley, Brett R. Blackwell, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Peter L. Lenaker, Michelle A. Nott
By
Upper Midwest Water Science Center