USGS employees gathering water samples on a boat in the middle of Milford Lake in Kansas.
Guy M. Foster
Guy is a Supervisory Hydrologist at the New York Water Science Center.
Guy currently is the Chief, NY Observing Systems overseeing surface water, groundwater, & water quality data collection & networks throughout New York State. He oversees staff in 6 offices that consist of Hydrologic Technicians, Physical Scientists and Hydrologists performing data collection, quality assurance, network management, and applied research.
Guy started with the USGS in 2007 as a student in the Pacific Islands Water Science Center (WSC). After graduating, he transferred to his hometown of Ft. Myers, FL as a Hydrologic Technician in the Florida Integrated Science Center, where he performed a variety of gaging tasks including both SW and GW sites. In 2009, he accepted a position as a Hydrologist in the Kansas WSC. While in Kansas, he conducted a variety of studies, including sediment transport, effects of urban wastewater on receiving streams, sediment oxygen demand, and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). After becoming a Supervisory Hydrologist, he led the Sediment Science and Sensor Technology Unit from 2015 to 2018, which consisted of a small cadre of highly motivated hydrologists and hydrologic technicians. His Unit produced numerous publications and data releases and has successfully conducted logistically complex and unique data collections to answer hydrologic questions of interest. In 2018, Guy transferred to the New York WSC where he served as the Water Quality Networks Section Chief. He oversaw about 25 scientists located in 3 offices throughout NY State conducting a wide variety of water-quality studies in freshwater and marine environments. In addition, Guy played a direct role in forming the the North Atlantic and Appalachian Region (NAAR) Harmful Algal Bloom Capability Team and NAAR Leadership Exchange (NAARL-E).
Prior to working at USGS, Guy served as a submarine sonar technician in the US Navy from 1993 to 2004. He took part in two Western Pacific deployments aboard USS Honolulu (SSN 718) and four Strategic Deterrence Patrols aboard USS Nevada (SSBN 733 (Blue)). He spent his final tour of duty as an Instructor and Master Training Specialist at the Naval Submarine Training Center, Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i.
Professional Experience
Supervisory Hydrologist at the New York Water Science Center 2018-present.
Supervisory Hydrologist, in the Kansas WSC (Sediment Science and Sensor Technology Unit) from 2015 to 2018
USGS In 2009, as a Hydrologist in the Kansas WSC.
USGS in 2008 as a Hydrologic Technician in the Florida Integrated Science Center
USGS in 2007 as a student in the Pacific Islands Water Science Center (WSC)
US Navy as a submarine sonar technician from 1993 to 2004.
Education and Certifications
MS in Civil Engineering – University of Kansas (2011)
BS in Oceanography – Hawai’i Pacific University (2008)
Science and Products
Water-Resource and Road-Condition Monitoring of Alternative Treatments for Road Deicing
MD-DE-DC WSC Seminar Series
In the pursuit of serving the public world-class science and data through a culture of excellence, our center seminar series is intended to showcase the best of our region's research into our water resources and to promote inter-disciplinary collaborations between federal, state, local governments, academia, and the general public.
Questions? Contact Zach Clifton at zclifton@usgs.gov.
Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring in the Finger Lakes region, New York
Southeastern New York Coastal Monitoring
Cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins and associated characteristics across the North Atlantic Appalachian Region
Laboratory and Field Data for a Performance Evaluation of the PhytoFind, an In-Place Phytoplankton Classification Tool
Phytoplankton tally sheet, including photomicrographs, for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Phytoplankton data for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Cyanotoxin, chlorophyll-a, and cyanobacterial toxin genetic data for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Milford Lake, Kansas, spatial water-quality data, July 27 and August 31, 2015
Phytoplankton data for Milford Lake, Kansas, July 27 and August 31, 2015
Water-quality data from two sites on Milford Lake, Kansas, July 26-27 and August 30-31, 2015
Water-quality data from four Indian Creek sites, Johnson County, Kansas, July 22-25, 2014 and August 21-27, 2015
Spatial water-quality data for Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, May 23, 2013, July 23, 2014, July 30, 2015, and August 26, 2015
Sediment Oxygen Demand Data for Eastern Kansas Streams, August 2014 through December 2015
USGS employees gathering water samples on a boat in the middle of Milford Lake in Kansas.
Signs warn the public of dangers of harmful algal blooms in Milford Lake, Kansas
Signs warn the public of dangers of harmful algal blooms in Milford Lake, Kansas
A bloom of cyanobacteria near the shore of Milford Lake, Kansas
A bloom of cyanobacteria near the shore of Milford Lake, Kansas
Field techniques for fluorescence measurements targeting dissolved organic matter, hydrocarbons, and wastewater in environmental waters: Principles and guidelines for instrument selection, operation and maintenance, quality assurance, and data reporting
Technical note—Performance evaluation of the PhytoFind, an in-place phytoplankton classification tool
Field techniques for the determination of algal pigment fluorescence in environmental waters—Principles and guidelines for instrument and sensor selection, operation, quality assurance, and data reporting
The use of algal fluorometers by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has become increasingly common. The basic principles of algal fluorescence, instrument calibration, interferences, data quantification, data interpretation, and quality control are given in Hambrook Berkman and Canova (2007). Much of the guidance given for instrument maintenance, data storage, and quality assurance in Wagner and ot
Technical note—Relative variability of selected turbidity standards and sensors in use by the U.S. Geological Survey
Spatial and temporal variability of nutrients and algae in the Republican River and Milford Lake, Kansas, June through November 2017 and May through November 2018
Spatial and temporal variability of harmful algal blooms in Milford Lake, Kansas, May through November 2016
Water-quality conditions with an emphasis on cyanobacteria and associated toxins and taste-and-odor compounds in the Kansas River, Kansas, July 2012 through September 2016
Quantifying suspended sediment loads delivered to Cheney Reservoir, Kansas: Temporal patterns and management implications
Assessing the potential of reservoir outflow management to reduce sedimentation using continuous turbidity monitoring and reservoir modelling
Science and Products
Water-Resource and Road-Condition Monitoring of Alternative Treatments for Road Deicing
MD-DE-DC WSC Seminar Series
In the pursuit of serving the public world-class science and data through a culture of excellence, our center seminar series is intended to showcase the best of our region's research into our water resources and to promote inter-disciplinary collaborations between federal, state, local governments, academia, and the general public.
Questions? Contact Zach Clifton at zclifton@usgs.gov.
Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring in the Finger Lakes region, New York
Southeastern New York Coastal Monitoring
Cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins and associated characteristics across the North Atlantic Appalachian Region
Laboratory and Field Data for a Performance Evaluation of the PhytoFind, an In-Place Phytoplankton Classification Tool
Phytoplankton tally sheet, including photomicrographs, for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Phytoplankton data for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Cyanotoxin, chlorophyll-a, and cyanobacterial toxin genetic data for samples collected at eleven large river sites throughout the United States, June through September 2017
Milford Lake, Kansas, spatial water-quality data, July 27 and August 31, 2015
Phytoplankton data for Milford Lake, Kansas, July 27 and August 31, 2015
Water-quality data from two sites on Milford Lake, Kansas, July 26-27 and August 30-31, 2015
Water-quality data from four Indian Creek sites, Johnson County, Kansas, July 22-25, 2014 and August 21-27, 2015
Spatial water-quality data for Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, May 23, 2013, July 23, 2014, July 30, 2015, and August 26, 2015
Sediment Oxygen Demand Data for Eastern Kansas Streams, August 2014 through December 2015
USGS employees gathering water samples on a boat in the middle of Milford Lake in Kansas.
USGS employees gathering water samples on a boat in the middle of Milford Lake in Kansas.
Signs warn the public of dangers of harmful algal blooms in Milford Lake, Kansas
Signs warn the public of dangers of harmful algal blooms in Milford Lake, Kansas
A bloom of cyanobacteria near the shore of Milford Lake, Kansas
A bloom of cyanobacteria near the shore of Milford Lake, Kansas
Field techniques for fluorescence measurements targeting dissolved organic matter, hydrocarbons, and wastewater in environmental waters: Principles and guidelines for instrument selection, operation and maintenance, quality assurance, and data reporting
Technical note—Performance evaluation of the PhytoFind, an in-place phytoplankton classification tool
Field techniques for the determination of algal pigment fluorescence in environmental waters—Principles and guidelines for instrument and sensor selection, operation, quality assurance, and data reporting
The use of algal fluorometers by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has become increasingly common. The basic principles of algal fluorescence, instrument calibration, interferences, data quantification, data interpretation, and quality control are given in Hambrook Berkman and Canova (2007). Much of the guidance given for instrument maintenance, data storage, and quality assurance in Wagner and ot