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Charles P. Dunning

Assistant Director for Ground Water and National Investigations

Contact Information

U.S. Geological Survey
Wisconsin Water Science Center
8505 Research Way
Middleton, Wisconsin 53562
Phone: 608-821-3827
Fax: 608-821-3817
Email: cdunning@usgs.gov

Education

• Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1998
• M.A. Geology, Rice University, Houston, TX, 1978
• B.S. Geology, Hope College, Holland, MI, 1975

Areas of Expertise

• One of three Assistant Directors of the Wisconsin Water Science Center (WWSC), with 2008 science program budget of about 10 million dollars. Collaboratively direct Water Science Center program development and long-term science strategic planning.
• Directly oversee 3 technical teams with 25 staff and combined 2006 budget of about 2.5 million dollars. These teams are the Ground Water Systems Team, the National and Regional Assessments Team, and the Mercury Studies Team.
• Directly oversee the collection of basic data program for Water Use and the Wisconsin Observation Well Network.
• Directly oversee the Center’s Drilling Operations Group which provides hydrological drilling and testing services to the WWSC and USGS operations across the US.
• WWSC Ground Water Specialist responsible for ground-water programs, quality assurance, modeling archives, and project-related reports. Represents the WWSC in ground-water matters with public officials, scientific personnel, and the general public.

Current Projects

• Infiltration
• Monitoring well network
• Water use
• Chenequa

Professional Positions

Professional Activities

Selected Publications

USGS series publications

Dunning, C.P., Mueller, G.D., and Juckem, P,F., in prep, Ground-Water Flow in the Vicinity of the Ho-Chunk Nation Communities of Indian Mission and Sand Pillow, Jackson County, Wisconsin, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5121.

Dunning, Charles P.; Yeskis, Douglas J., 2007, Lithostratigraphic and Hydrogeologic Characteristics of the Ordovician Sinnipee Group in the Vicinity of Waupun, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, 1995-96: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5114.

Feinstein, D.T., Buchwald, C.A., Dunning, C.P., and Hunt, R.J., 2006, Development and Application of a Screening Model for Simulating Regional Ground-Water Flow in the St. Croix River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005–5283.

Dunning, C.P., 2005, Lithology, hydraulic properties, and water quality of the sandstone aquifer in the northwestern part of the Bad River Indian Reservation, Wisconsin, 1998–1999: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004–1425, 47 p.

Dunning, C.P., Feinstein, D.T., Hunt, R.J., and Krohelski, J.T., 2004, Simulation of ground-water flow, surface-water flow, and a deep sewer tunnel system in the Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: USGS Scientific Investigations Report 04-5031. 40 p.

Kay, Robert T.; Mills, Patrick C.; Dunning, Charles P.; Yeskis, Douglas J.; Ursic, James R.; Vendl, Mark; 2004, A cross-site comparison of methods used for hydrogeologic characterization of the Galena-Platteville aquifer in Illinois and Wisconsin, with examples from selected Superfund sites: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2004–5136. 241 p.

Dunning, C. P., Thomas, J.C., Lin, Y-F., 2003, Simulation of the shallow aquifer in the vicinity of Silver Lake, Washington County, Wisconsin, using analytic elements: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 2002–4204, 29 p.

Dunning, C.P., and D.J. Yeskis, 2001, Hydrogeology and ground-water quality of the county road a disposal site on the Bad River Indian Reservation, Ashland County, Wisconsin: 1997-98; USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4082, 61 p.

Brown, Timothy A.; Dunning, Charles P.; Sharpe, Jennifer B.; 2000, Altitude, depth, and thickness of the Galena-Platteville Bedrock Unit in the subcrop area of Illinois and Wisconsin: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4054-C, 8 maps.

Brown, Timothy A.; Dunning, Charles P.; Batten, William G.; 2000, Bibliography of selected references on the hydrogeologic and chemical properties of the Galena-Platteville bedrock unit in Illinois and Wisconsin, 1877-1997: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4054-A, 44 p.

Batten, W. G.; Yeskis, Douglas J.; Dunning, Charles P.; 1999, Hydrogeologic properties of the Ordovician Sinnipee Group at test well BN-483, Better Brite Superfund Site, De Pere, Wisconsin: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4199, 19 p.

Journal articles, reports, and other publications

Gotkowitz, M.B., Zeiler, K.K., Dunning, C.P., Thomas, J.C., Lin, Y-F.,2005 Hydrogeology and Simulation of Groundwater Flow in Sauk County, Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin Extension, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey Bulletin 102, 43 p.

Feinstein, D.T., Dunning, C.P., Hunt, R.J., and Krohelski, J.T., 2003, Stepwise use of GFLOW and MODFLOW to determine relative importance of shallow and deep receptors, invited contribution for special MODFLOW2001 issue, Ground Water 41(2), p. 190-199. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.2003.tb02582.x

Dunning, C.P., and D.T. Feinstein, 2001, Using analytic element modeling as a tool to investigate a shallow groundwater-flow-system in a complex, urban setting, the Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee, WI: Congress proceedings for the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute’s World Water & Environmental Resource Congress in Orlando, FL, May 2001.

Feinstein, D.T., Dunning, C.P., and Hunt, R.J., 2001, Joint application of GFLOW and MODFLOW to determine the relative importance of shallow and deep groundwater receptors. p. 678-684 in MODFLOW 2001 and Other Modeling Odysseys: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference of the International Ground Water Modeling Center. Golden, CO: Colorado School of Mines.