George, S.D., Baldigo, B.P., Smith, A.J. and Robinson, G.R. (2015). Effects of an Extreme Flood on Aquatic Biota in a Catskill Mountain River. Summary report #15-08. Prepared for New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Scott George
Biography
Scott George is a biologist in the Watersheds Research Section of the USGS New York Water Science Center in Troy, NY. He recently completed a master's degree at the State University at Albany (SUNY) in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology on the impact of severe flooding on lotic biota. Scott's current research is aimed at better understanding riverine fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, and periphyton communities and the disturbances that impact them. Specific ongoing projects include monitoring the expansion of Round Goby towards the Hudson River using environmental DNA and other methods, studying the recovery of fish assemblages in acid-impacted Catskill Mountain streams, and evaluating the toxicity of sediments to benthic macroinvertebrates in Great Lakes Areas of Concern.
EDUCATION:
- M.S., State University of New York, Albany, NY; Major – Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2014
- M.A., State University of New York, Albany, NY; Major – Social Studies, 2010
- B.A. (Magna Cum Laude), Siena College, Loudonville, NY; Major – History Education, 2008
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
- American Fisheries Society
- New York State Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
- Society For Freshwater Science
- Trout Unlimited
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
- Biologist; U.S. Geological Survey, Troy, NY; 2011-present: Coordinates projects and provides field support and data analysis to other ongoing projects concerning: acidification, extreme hydrologic events, flow-modification, trout population dynamics, water temperatures, and other stressors in stream ecosystems.
- Intern; NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Stream Biomonitoring Unit (SBU), Troy, NY; 2010-2011: Processed benthic macroinvertebrate kick samples, locating and identifying organisms to the ordinal level. Conducted literature review of present lake biomonitoring methods for future integration into SBU Standard Operating Procedure.
SELECTED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:
George, S.D., B.P. Baldigo, C. Rees, and M.L. Bartron. 2019. Efficacy of Environmental DNA and Traditional Sampling Methods to Monitor the Expansion of Round Goby in the Mohawk River-Barge Canal System. Annual Meeting of the New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Poughkeepsie, New York, February, 2019.
George, S.D., B.P. Baldigo, G. Lawrence, and R. Fuller. 2018. Do Watershed and In-Stream Liming Accelerate Recovery of Macroinvertebrate Communities in Acidified Tributaries to an Adirondack Lake? 2018 National Atmospheric Deposition Program Annual Meeting, Albany, New York, November, 2018.
George, S.D., B.P. Baldigo, G. Lawrence, and R. Fuller. 2017. Effects of Watershed and In-Stream Liming on Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Acidified Tributaries to an Adirondack Lake. Annual Meeting of the Society for Freshwater Science, Raleigh, North Carolina, June, 2017.
George, S.D., B.P. Baldigo, and S. Wells. 2016. Response of Fish Assemblages to Seasonal Drawdowns in Sections of the Mohawk River-Barge Canal System. 2016 Hudson River Symposium, SUNY New Paltz, May, 2016.
George, S.D., B.P. Baldigo, and S. Wells. 2015. Spatial differences in contemporary fish assemblages of the Mohawk River. Invited Speaker. 2015 Mohawk River Watershed Symposium, Union College, March, 2015.
George, S.D., B.P. Baldigo, and G. Robinson. 2014. Differential impacts of Hurricane Irene on fish communities and trout populations in a Catskill Mountain river, New York, USA. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Quebec City, August, 2014.
Science and Products
Date published: September 4, 2018
Status: Active Niagara River AOC-wide Benthos BUI Assessment
A USGS biologist prepares to collect a sediment sample using a petit ponar dredge. Background:The Niagara River forms the boundary between the United States and Canada and was designated as a binational Area of Concern (AOC) in 1987 because past industrial discharges and hazardous waste sites had caused extensive degradation of aquatic habitats. Within the United States (eastern) portion of...
Contacts: Scott George, Barry P Baldigo, Brian Duffy
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: August 30, 2018
Status: Active Quantitative Fish Surveys of Mohawk River Tributaries
Background Fish communities of the mainstem Mohawk River and Barge Canal have been well-documented (Carlson, 2015; George et al., 2016) but comparatively less information is available regarding the current status of fish communities in tributaries to the Mohawk River. This information gap is problematic because long-term shifts in species distributions or abundances due to climate change,...
Contacts: Scott George, Barry P Baldigo
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: May 4, 2018
Status: Active Long-term trends in Rainbow Trout growth and naturalized populations in the Ashokan Basin
Background: Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have thrived in the Esopus Creek since their introduction in the 1880s. The construction of the Ashokan Reservoir in 1915 changed the fishery by providing a stable lentic environment where adult trout could grow large and find refuge during periods when stream conditions become stressful. Although many adult Rainbow Trout spend time in the...
Contacts: Scott George, Barry P Baldigo
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: October 31, 2017
Status: Active Monitoring the Status and Expansion of Round Goby Populations in the Mohawk River/Barge Canal System
Background: The waters of the Mohawk River and its tributaries are inhabited by some of the most diverse fish communities in the Northeast. The construction of the Erie Canal in 1825, and later the Barge Canal in 1918, enabled the westward expansion of fishes from the Hudson River drainage as well as the eastward expansion of fishes indigenous to the Great Lakes drainage. Today, almost half of...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George, Christopher Rees
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: October 27, 2017
Status: Active Assessment of the contaminants in fish from AOCs in New York State: Pilot study in the remediated Buffalo River AOC
Background The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and Department of Health (NYSDOH), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) plan to obtain data on chemical contaminants in fish from multiple Areas of Concern (AOCs) in New York State and use this information to evaluate fish consumption advisories, which are a critical component of most removal criteria for “...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: September 13, 2017
Status: Active New York Statewide Fish Collection: Contaminants in fish from the Buffalo River AOC
Background: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) plan to obtain data on chemical contaminants in fish from multiple Areas of Concern (AOCs) in New York State and use this information to evaluate fish consumption advisories, which are a critical component of most removal criteria for “Restriction on Fish and Wildlife...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George, Damianos Skaros
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: June 9, 2017
Status: Active Responses of fish assemblages to changing environmental conditions in the Neversink River and Rondout Creek
Problem The Neversink River and Rondout Creek are historic trout fishing and recreational streams in the heart of the Catskill Mountains of southeastern NY. Waters throughout upper reaches of both rivers currently range from neutral to severely acidic due to deposition of acid rain throughout their watersheds. Fish surveys conducted by the USGS during the late 1980s and early 1990s found that...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: September 1, 2016
Status: Active Sediment toxicity and status of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the remediated Buffalo River Area-of-Concern
Background : Contaminated bed sediments in much of the Buffalo River AOC (Figure 1A, 1B) were removed (dredged) between 2011 and 2015. Plans to monitor and assess the effectiveness of this management action on 8 of 9 beneficial-use-impairments (BUI), included the benthic macroinvertebrate (benthos) BUI, were revised by the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper (Riverkeeper, 2014). Funds needed to...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George, Brian Duffy
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: September 23, 2015
Status: Active Effect of Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene on Fish Assemblages in the Upper Esopus Creek Basin
Background The Upper Esopus Creek, a popular trout-fishing and recreational stream in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, received historic flooding from Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011. Streamflows approached or surpassed the 1% annual exceedance probability (>100 year) flood levels at several USGS streamgages in this basin. Short-term flood impacts on biological assemblages have...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: August 28, 2015
Status: Completed Status of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of sediments in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York
Background: The USGS propose a collaborative investigation with the NYSDEC to evaluate the current condition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of bed sediments in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern (AOC). Sediment-toxicity data provided by the USGS and benthic-community data provided by the NYSDEC from inside the AOC will be compared to similar data from non-AOC sites...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George, Brian Duffy
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: August 28, 2015
Status: Completed Status of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of sediments in the Niagara River Area of Concern, New York
Background: The USGS propose a collaborative investigation with the NYSDEC and NOAA to evaluate the current condition of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and toxicity of bed sediments in the Niagara River Area of Concern (AOC). Using a probabilistic study design, sediment-toxicity data compiled by the USGS, invertebrate community data collected by NYSDEC, and sediment-chemistry data...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George, Brian Duffy
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: August 27, 2015
Status: Active Effects of Watershed and In-stream Liming on Accelerated Recovery of Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in Tributaries to Honnedaga Lake
Background Acidification of lotic and lentic environments has been found to adversely affect the integrity of resident biological assemblages. These effects have been particularly severe in poorly buffered regions like the Western Adirondacks. Although the Clean Air Act and its amendments have greatly reduced levels of atmospheric deposition, many streams in this region are still chronical...
Contacts: Scott George, Barry P Baldigo
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Year Published: 2018
Changes in growth of Rainbow Trout in a Catskill Mountain Reservoir following Alewife and White Perch Introductions
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were introduced to the Esopus Creek watershed in the Catskill Mountains of New York in the early 1880s. This introduction created a renowned naturalized fishery that remains important to the local economy today. The objective of this study was to determine whether the growth and condition of Rainbow...
George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Flaherty, Michael J.; Randall, Eileen A.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
Changes in Growth of Rainbow Trout in a Catskill Mountain Reservoir Following Alewife and White Perch Introductions. (2018). North American Journal of Fisheries Management., 38(5), 1027–1038. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10203
Year Published: 2018
Effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to Honnedaga Lake, NY
Liming techniques are being explored in many regions as a means to accelerate the recovery of aquatic biota from decades of acid deposition. The preservation or restoration of native sportfish populations has usually been the impetus for liming programs, and as such, less attention has been paid to its effects on other biological assemblages such...
Lampman, Gregory; George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Fuller, Randall L.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
Year Published: 2018
Effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to an Adirondack lake
Liming techniques are being explored as a means to accelerate the recovery of aquatic biota from decades of acid deposition in many regions. The preservation or restoration of native sportfish populations has typically been the impetus for liming programs, and as such, less attention has been given to its effects on other biological assemblages...
George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Fuller, Randall L.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Gregory B. Lawrence, Randall L. Fuller, Effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to an Adirondack lake, Ecological Indicators, Volume 85, February 2018, Pages 1058-1067, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.11.048.
Year Published: 2017
Assessing the status of sediment toxicity and macroinvertebrate communities in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York
In 1972, the governments of Canada and the United States committed to restoring the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the Laurentian Great Lakes under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Through this framework, the downstream-most section of Eighteenmile Creek, a tributary to the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York, was...
George, Scott D.; Duffy, Brian T.; Baldigo, Barry P.Attribution: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, New York Water Science Center, Water Resources, United States of America
View Citation
Scott D. George, Brian T. Duffy, and Barry P. Baldigo (2017) Assessing the status of sediment communities in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York, Journal of Great Lakes Research, 43:3, 55-63, DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2017.01.004
Year Published: 2016
Efficacy of environmental DNA to detect and quantify Brook Trout populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains, New York
Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is rapidly evolving as a tool for monitoring the distributions of aquatic species. Detection of species’ populations in streams may be challenging because the persistence time for intact DNA fragments is unknown and because eDNA is diluted and dispersed by dynamic hydrological processes. During 2015, the DNA of...
Baldigo, Barry P.; Sporn, Lee Ann; George, Scott D.; Ball, JacobAttribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources, Energy & Wildlife, United States of America
View Citation
Barry P. Baldigo, Lee Ann Sporn, Scott D. George & Jacob A. Ball (2017)
Efficacy of Environmental DNA to Detect and Quantify Brook Trout Populations in Headwater Streams of the Adirondack Mountains, New York, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 146:1, 99-111, DOI: 10.1080/00028487.2016.1243578
Year Published: 2016
Assessing Brook Trout populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains using environmental DNA -- Summary report
This project evaluated standard fish-survey and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling methods to determine the ability of eDNA to accurately predict the presence and abundance of resident Brook Trout populations in 40 headwater streams mainly in the western Adirondack Mountains during 2014–2015 (Figure 2). Standard 3-pass electrofishing surveys found...
Baldigo, Barry P.; George, Scott D.; Sporn, Lee Ann; Ball, JacobAttribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
Year Published: 2016
Effects of seasonal drawdowns on fish assemblages in sections of an impounded river-canal system in upstate New York
The Mohawk River and New York State Barge Canal run together as a series of permanent and temporary impoundments for most of the distance between Rome and Albany, New York. The downstream or lower section is composed of two permanent impoundments, the middle section of a series of temporary (seasonal) impoundments, and the upper section of a...
George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Wells, Scott MAttribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo & Scott M. Wells (2016) Effects of Seasonal
Drawdowns on Fish Assemblages in Sections of an Impounded River–Canal System in Upstate New York, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 145:6, 1348-1357, DOI: 10.1080/00028487.2016.1223751
Year Published: 2016
Assessing condition of macroinvertebrate communities and sediment toxicity in the St. Lawrence River at Massena Area-of-Concern
In 1972, the USA and Canada agreed to restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem under the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. In subsequent amendments, part of the St. Lawrence River at Massena, New York and segments of three tributaries, were designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) due to the...
Duffy, Brian T.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Smith, Alexander J.; George, Scott D.; David, Anthony M.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
Brian T. Duffy, Barry P. Baldigo, Alexander J. Smith, Scott D. George, Anthony M. David, Assessing condition of macroinvertebrate communities and sediment toxicity in the St. Lawrence River at Massena Area-of-Concern, Journal of Great Lakes Research, Volume 42, Issue 4, August 2016, Pages 910-919, ISSN 0380-1330,
Year Published: 2016
Toxicity of bed sediments from the Niagara River Area of Concern and tributaries, New York, to Chironomus dilutus and Hyalella azteca, 2014-15
The Niagara River was designated as an Area of Concern in 1987 on both the United States and Canadian sides of the international boundary line because past industrial discharges and hazardous waste sites had caused extensive degradation of aquatic habitats. The degradation of the “benthos”, or the benthic macroinvertebrate community, was...
George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Duffy, Brian T.Attribution: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, New York Water Science Center, Water Resources, United States of America
View Citation
George, S.D., Baldigo, B.P., and Duffy, B.T., 2016, Toxicity of bed sediments from the Niagara River Area of Concern and tributaries, New York, to Chironomus dilutus and Hyalella azteca, 2014–15: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 1016, 8 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds1016.
Year Published: 2016
Long-term trends in naturalized rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations in the upper Esopus Creek, Ulster County, New York, 2009–15
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, surveyed fish communities annually on the main stem and tributaries of...
George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
George, S.D., and Baldigo, B.P., 2016, Long-term trends in naturalized rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) populations in the upper Esopus Creek, Ulster County, New York, 2009–15: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 992, 12 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds992.
Year Published: 2016
Toxicity of waters from the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern to the plankton species Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Ceriodaphnia dubia
The lower Genesee River and Rochester Embayment of Lake Ontario are a designated Area of Concern (AOC) under the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The “degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations” or plankton Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) was classified as unknown and in need of further assessment in this...
Baldigo, Barry P.; Duffy, Brian T.; Smith, Alexander J.; George, Scott D.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
Year Published: 2016
Response of periphyton fatty acid composition to supplemental flows in the upper Esopus Creek, Catskill Mountains, New York
Fatty acid analysis of periphyton is an emerging tool for assessing the condition of a stream ecosystem on the basis of its water quality. The study presented in this report was designed to test the hypothesis that periphyton communities have a fatty acid profile that can detect excessive turbidity and suspended sediment. The fatty acid...
George, Scott D.; Ernst, Anne G.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Honeyfield, Dale C.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
George, S.D., Ernst, A.G., Baldigo, B.P., and Honeyfield, D.C., 2016, Response of periphyton fatty acid composition to supplemental flows in the upper Esopus Creek, Catskill Mountains, New York: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5161, 22 p., with appendixes, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155161.
Pre-USGS Publications
Date published: February 22, 2019
Field Photo Friday Winners for March, 2019
Sean Stewart and Brendan Hallmark making repairs at the Green Island streamgage (01358000) on the Hudson River. Photo by Travis Smith (Public Domain) and An ice jam in place at Buffalo Creek at Gardenville, New York (gage ...
Attribution: New York Water Science Center