Richard L Kiesling, Ph.D. (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP)
For 43 years, the Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP) brought together scientists from the USGS along with students and professors from universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and California to study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, wetlands, and streams at local and watershed scales. In early 2022, The University of Minnesota and Bemidji...
Data collected from wastewater effluent sampling and on-site fish exposures: trace organic contaminant concentrations, bacteria concentrations, and fish responses - Hutchinson, Minnesota, 2022
This dataset consists of trace organic contaminant concentrations and bacteria counts in wastewater effluents, and observed responses in fish exposed to effluents. The study was conducted from April to September 2022 at a facility located in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Nine pairs of primary-treated, activated sludge secondary treated, and membrane bioreactor secondary treated wastewater were...
St. Louis River estuary (Minnesota-Wisconsin) EFDC model scenarios for velocity profiles around Munger Landing, selected years (2012-2019)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ran a series of model scnearios using a predictive, mechanistic, three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE), Minnesota-Wisconsin. The original SLRE model was developed and published in...
Filter Total Items: 27
A comprehensive assessment of membrane bioreactor contaminant removal efficacy through analytical chemistry, fish exposures, and microbiome characterization
Treated municipal wastewater effluent is an important pathway for Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) to enter aquatic ecosystems. As the aging wastewater infrastructure in many industrialized countries requires upgrades or replacement, assessing new treatment technologies in the context of CEC effects may provide additional support for science-based resource management. Here, we used...
Authors
Charles H. Christen, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Alissa VanDenBoom, Satomi Kohno, Carrie E Givens, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Role of tributary cyanobacterial and nutrient transport and sediment processes on cyanobacterial bloom initiation in Lake Superior nearshore
Watershed fluxes of suspended sediment (SS), nutrients, in particular phosphorus (P), and cyanobacteria may play a role in driving cyanobacterial blooms along the southwestern shore of oligotrophic Lake Superior. To understand how tributary loads contribute to nearshore blooms, we sampled two southwestern shore tributaries, Bois Brule and Siskiwit Rivers. We collected water-quality...
Authors
Rebecca Kreiling, Carrie E Givens, Anna Baker, Richard L. Kiesling, Eric D. Dantoin, Patrik M. Perner, Shelby P. Sterner, Kenna Jean Breckner, Paul C. Reneau
A pilot study to assess the influence of infiltrated stormwater on groundwater: Hydrology and trace organic contaminants
Underground infiltration basins (UIBs) mimic the natural hydrologic cycle by allowing stormwater to recharge local groundwater aquifers. However, little is known about the potential transport of organic contaminants to receiving groundwater. We conducted a pilot study in which we collected paired grab samples of stormwater runoff flowing into two UIBs (inflow) and shallow groundwater...
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Andrew M. Berg, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Multiple lines of evidence for identifying potential hazards to fish from contaminants of emerging concern in Great Lakes tributaries
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs; e.g., pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, pesticides, and industrial chemicals) are omnipresent throughout tributaries to the Great Lakes. Furthermore, CECs are often present at concentrations that are potentially hazardous to aquatic species. Since 2010, we characterized the presence of CECs at 309 sites within 47 Great Lakes tributaries and...
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Daniel J. Gefell, Richard L. Kiesling, Stephanie L. Hummel, Chryssa K. King, Charles H. Christen, Satomi Kohno, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Identifying sources of contaminants in urban stormwater and evaluation of their removal efficacy across a continuum of urban best management practices
Precipitation events in urban areas often result in stormwater runoff containing a diverse array of chemical contaminants. Although many traditional contaminants, such as nutrients, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been studied extensively, only recently has evidence emerged showing that trace organic compounds (TrOCs), including pharmaceuticals, personal care...
Authors
Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Richard L. Kiesling, Sarah M. Elliott, Satomi Kohno
Simulation of discharge, water-surface elevations, and water temperatures for the St. Louis River estuary, Minnesota-Wisconsin, 2016–17
The St. Louis River estuary is a large freshwater estuary, next to Duluth, Minnesota, that encompasses the headwaters of Lake Superior. The St. Louis River estuary is one of the most complex and compromised near-shore systems in the upper Great Lakes with a long history of environmental contamination caused by logging, mining, paper mills, and other heavy industrial activities. Presently...
Authors
Erik A. Smith, Richard L. Kiesling, Earl J. Hayter
Updates to the Madison Lake (Minnesota) CE–QUAL–W2 water-quality model for assessing algal community dynamics
A previously developed CE–QUAL–W2 model for Madison Lake, Minnesota, simulated the algal community dynamics, water quality, and fish habitat suitability of Madison Lake under recent (2014) meteorological conditions. Additionally, this previously developed model simulated the complex interplay between external nutrient loading, internal nutrient loading from sediment release of phosphorus...
Authors
Erik A. Smith, Richard L. Kiesling
Effects of urban stormwater and iron‐enhanced sand filtration on Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas
Urban stormwater is an important but incompletely characterized contributor to surface‐water toxicity. The present study used 5 bioassays of 2 model organisms (Daphnia magnaand fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas) to investigate stormwater toxicity and mitigation by full‐scale iron‐enhanced sand filters (IESFs). Stormwater samples were collected from major stormwater conveyances and full...
Authors
Benjamin M. Westerhoff, David J. Fairbairn, Mark L. Ferrey, Adriana Matilla, Jordan Kunkel, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Dustin Woodruff, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Predicting the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern in surface water and sediment across the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes Basin
Chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) are introduced into the aquatic environment via various sources, posing a potential risk to aquatic organisms. Previous studies have identified relationships between the presence of CECs in water and broad-scale watershed characteristics. However, relationships between the presence of CECs and source-related watershed characteristics have not been...
Authors
Richard L. Kiesling, Sarah M. Elliott, Leah E. Kammel, Steven J. Choy, Stephanie L. Hummel
Contaminants of emerging concern in urban stormwater: Spatiotemporal patterns and removal by iron-enhanced sand filters (IESFs)
Numerous contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) typically occur in urban rivers. Wastewater effluents are a major source of many CECs. Urban runoff (stormwater) is a major urban water budget component and may constitute another major CEC pathway. Yet, stormwater-based CEC field studies are rare. This research investigated 384 CECs in 36 stormwater samples in Minneapolis-St. Paul...
Authors
David J. Fairbairn, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Mark L. Ferrey, Benjamin M. Westerhoff
Environmentally relevant chemical mixtures of concern in waters of United States tributaries to the Great Lakes
The North American Great Lakes are a vital natural resource that provide fish and wildlife habitat, as well as drinking water and waste assimilation services for millions of people. Tributaries to the Great Lakes receive chemical inputs from various point and nonpoint sources, and thus are expected to have complex mixtures of chemicals. However, our understanding of the co‐occurrence of...
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Mark E. Brigham, Richard L. Kiesling, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Zachary G. Jorgenson
Nitrogen cycling in large temperate floodplain rivers of contrasting nutrient regimes and management
Hydraulic connection between channels and floodplains (“connectivity”) is a fundamental determinant of ecosystem function in large floodplain rivers. Factors controlling material processing in these rivers depend not only on the degree of connectivity but also on the sediment conditions, nutrient loads, and source. Nutrient cycling in the nutrient‐rich upper Mississippi River (MISS) is...
Authors
William B. Richardson, Lynn Bartsch, Michelle Bartsch, Richard L. Kiesling, Brenda Mroska-LaFrancois
Science and Products
Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP)
For 43 years, the Shingobee Headwaters Aquatic Ecosystems Project (SHAEP) brought together scientists from the USGS along with students and professors from universities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and California to study the physical, chemical, and biological processes of lakes, wetlands, and streams at local and watershed scales. In early 2022, The University of Minnesota and Bemidji...
Data collected from wastewater effluent sampling and on-site fish exposures: trace organic contaminant concentrations, bacteria concentrations, and fish responses - Hutchinson, Minnesota, 2022
This dataset consists of trace organic contaminant concentrations and bacteria counts in wastewater effluents, and observed responses in fish exposed to effluents. The study was conducted from April to September 2022 at a facility located in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Nine pairs of primary-treated, activated sludge secondary treated, and membrane bioreactor secondary treated wastewater were...
St. Louis River estuary (Minnesota-Wisconsin) EFDC model scenarios for velocity profiles around Munger Landing, selected years (2012-2019)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ran a series of model scnearios using a predictive, mechanistic, three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE), Minnesota-Wisconsin. The original SLRE model was developed and published in...
Filter Total Items: 27
A comprehensive assessment of membrane bioreactor contaminant removal efficacy through analytical chemistry, fish exposures, and microbiome characterization
Treated municipal wastewater effluent is an important pathway for Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) to enter aquatic ecosystems. As the aging wastewater infrastructure in many industrialized countries requires upgrades or replacement, assessing new treatment technologies in the context of CEC effects may provide additional support for science-based resource management. Here, we used...
Authors
Charles H. Christen, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Alissa VanDenBoom, Satomi Kohno, Carrie E Givens, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Role of tributary cyanobacterial and nutrient transport and sediment processes on cyanobacterial bloom initiation in Lake Superior nearshore
Watershed fluxes of suspended sediment (SS), nutrients, in particular phosphorus (P), and cyanobacteria may play a role in driving cyanobacterial blooms along the southwestern shore of oligotrophic Lake Superior. To understand how tributary loads contribute to nearshore blooms, we sampled two southwestern shore tributaries, Bois Brule and Siskiwit Rivers. We collected water-quality...
Authors
Rebecca Kreiling, Carrie E Givens, Anna Baker, Richard L. Kiesling, Eric D. Dantoin, Patrik M. Perner, Shelby P. Sterner, Kenna Jean Breckner, Paul C. Reneau
A pilot study to assess the influence of infiltrated stormwater on groundwater: Hydrology and trace organic contaminants
Underground infiltration basins (UIBs) mimic the natural hydrologic cycle by allowing stormwater to recharge local groundwater aquifers. However, little is known about the potential transport of organic contaminants to receiving groundwater. We conducted a pilot study in which we collected paired grab samples of stormwater runoff flowing into two UIBs (inflow) and shallow groundwater...
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Andrew M. Berg, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Multiple lines of evidence for identifying potential hazards to fish from contaminants of emerging concern in Great Lakes tributaries
Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs; e.g., pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, pesticides, and industrial chemicals) are omnipresent throughout tributaries to the Great Lakes. Furthermore, CECs are often present at concentrations that are potentially hazardous to aquatic species. Since 2010, we characterized the presence of CECs at 309 sites within 47 Great Lakes tributaries and...
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Daniel J. Gefell, Richard L. Kiesling, Stephanie L. Hummel, Chryssa K. King, Charles H. Christen, Satomi Kohno, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Identifying sources of contaminants in urban stormwater and evaluation of their removal efficacy across a continuum of urban best management practices
Precipitation events in urban areas often result in stormwater runoff containing a diverse array of chemical contaminants. Although many traditional contaminants, such as nutrients, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been studied extensively, only recently has evidence emerged showing that trace organic compounds (TrOCs), including pharmaceuticals, personal care...
Authors
Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Richard L. Kiesling, Sarah M. Elliott, Satomi Kohno
Simulation of discharge, water-surface elevations, and water temperatures for the St. Louis River estuary, Minnesota-Wisconsin, 2016–17
The St. Louis River estuary is a large freshwater estuary, next to Duluth, Minnesota, that encompasses the headwaters of Lake Superior. The St. Louis River estuary is one of the most complex and compromised near-shore systems in the upper Great Lakes with a long history of environmental contamination caused by logging, mining, paper mills, and other heavy industrial activities. Presently...
Authors
Erik A. Smith, Richard L. Kiesling, Earl J. Hayter
Updates to the Madison Lake (Minnesota) CE–QUAL–W2 water-quality model for assessing algal community dynamics
A previously developed CE–QUAL–W2 model for Madison Lake, Minnesota, simulated the algal community dynamics, water quality, and fish habitat suitability of Madison Lake under recent (2014) meteorological conditions. Additionally, this previously developed model simulated the complex interplay between external nutrient loading, internal nutrient loading from sediment release of phosphorus...
Authors
Erik A. Smith, Richard L. Kiesling
Effects of urban stormwater and iron‐enhanced sand filtration on Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas
Urban stormwater is an important but incompletely characterized contributor to surface‐water toxicity. The present study used 5 bioassays of 2 model organisms (Daphnia magnaand fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas) to investigate stormwater toxicity and mitigation by full‐scale iron‐enhanced sand filters (IESFs). Stormwater samples were collected from major stormwater conveyances and full...
Authors
Benjamin M. Westerhoff, David J. Fairbairn, Mark L. Ferrey, Adriana Matilla, Jordan Kunkel, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Dustin Woodruff, Heiko L. Schoenfuss
Predicting the occurrence of chemicals of emerging concern in surface water and sediment across the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes Basin
Chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) are introduced into the aquatic environment via various sources, posing a potential risk to aquatic organisms. Previous studies have identified relationships between the presence of CECs in water and broad-scale watershed characteristics. However, relationships between the presence of CECs and source-related watershed characteristics have not been...
Authors
Richard L. Kiesling, Sarah M. Elliott, Leah E. Kammel, Steven J. Choy, Stephanie L. Hummel
Contaminants of emerging concern in urban stormwater: Spatiotemporal patterns and removal by iron-enhanced sand filters (IESFs)
Numerous contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) typically occur in urban rivers. Wastewater effluents are a major source of many CECs. Urban runoff (stormwater) is a major urban water budget component and may constitute another major CEC pathway. Yet, stormwater-based CEC field studies are rare. This research investigated 384 CECs in 36 stormwater samples in Minneapolis-St. Paul...
Authors
David J. Fairbairn, Sarah M. Elliott, Richard L. Kiesling, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Mark L. Ferrey, Benjamin M. Westerhoff
Environmentally relevant chemical mixtures of concern in waters of United States tributaries to the Great Lakes
The North American Great Lakes are a vital natural resource that provide fish and wildlife habitat, as well as drinking water and waste assimilation services for millions of people. Tributaries to the Great Lakes receive chemical inputs from various point and nonpoint sources, and thus are expected to have complex mixtures of chemicals. However, our understanding of the co‐occurrence of...
Authors
Sarah M. Elliott, Mark E. Brigham, Richard L. Kiesling, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Zachary G. Jorgenson
Nitrogen cycling in large temperate floodplain rivers of contrasting nutrient regimes and management
Hydraulic connection between channels and floodplains (“connectivity”) is a fundamental determinant of ecosystem function in large floodplain rivers. Factors controlling material processing in these rivers depend not only on the degree of connectivity but also on the sediment conditions, nutrient loads, and source. Nutrient cycling in the nutrient‐rich upper Mississippi River (MISS) is...
Authors
William B. Richardson, Lynn Bartsch, Michelle Bartsch, Richard L. Kiesling, Brenda Mroska-LaFrancois