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 17, 2019
Status: Active Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern Fish Community Assessment
Background: Eighteenmile Creek was designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) in 1985 because water quality and bed sediments were contaminated by past industrial and municipal discharges, waste disposal, and pesticide usage. Five Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) were identified in the Eighteenmile Creek AOC, including BUI #3 - the degradation of fish and wildlife populations. The remedial action...
Contacts: Scott George, Barry P Baldigo
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: September 5, 2019
Status: Active Status of American Eel populations in the Mohawk River Basin
Background: The waters of the Mohawk River basin are inhabited by one of the richest fish communities on the East Coast. The American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, is a unique member of this community, exhibiting a catadramous (maturing in fresh water and spawning in salt water) life history. Like many migratory fish, the American Eel has suffered a general decline across the East Coast largely...
Contacts: Scott George, Barry P Baldigo
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
Date published: April 26, 2019
Status: Active Contaminants in fish tissues from AOCs in New York State: The Niagara River AOC
DEC collaborators collect fish from a Niagara River tributary using an electrofishing boat The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and Department of Health (NYSDOH), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are gathering data on chemical contaminants in fish from multiple Areas of Concern (AOCs) in New York State and plan to use this information to evaluate fish cons...
Contacts: Scott George, Barry P Baldigo
Attribution: New York Water Science Center
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 Contaminants in fish tissues from AOCs in New York State: The Buffalo River AOC 2-year post remediation
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
Year Published: 2019
Response of water chemistry and young-of-year brook trout to channel and watershed liming in streams showing lagging recovery from acidic deposition
Reductions in sulfur emissions have initiated chemical recovery of surface waters impacted by acidic deposition in the Adirondack region of New York State. However, acidified streams remain common in the region, which limits recovery of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations. To investigate liming as a method to accelerate recovery of...
Josephson, Daniel C; Lawrence, Gregory B.; George, Scott D.; Siemion, Jason; Baldigo, Barry P.; Kraft, Clifford E.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
Year Published: 2019
Resilience of benthic macroinvertebrates to extreme floods in a Catskill Mountain river, New York, USA: Implications for water quality monitoring and assessment
Changes in the timing, magnitude, frequency, and duration of extreme hydrologic events are becoming apparent and could disrupt species assemblages and stream ecosystems across the Northeastern United States. Between August 28 and 29 of 2011, an average of 31 cm of rain from Tropical Storm Irene fell across Eastern New York State in less than 24 h...
Smith, Alexander J.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Duffy, Brian T; George, Scott D.; Dresser, BrianAttribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
Year Published: 2019
Spatial and temporal variability of fish assemblages in acidified streams: Implications for long-term monitoring
Numerous studies have established strong linkages between acid deposition, soil and surface-water acidification, and toxicity to aquatic biota. Little is known however, about the effects of acidification on fish assemblages in headwater streams because they are highly variable, and pre-acidification data are often lacking. The primary purpose of...
George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Lawrence, Gregory B.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA). 2019. “Spatial and Temporal Variability of Fish Assemblages in Acidified Streams: Implications for Long-Term Monitoring” NYSERDA Report Number 19-29. Prepared by the U.S. Geological Society, Troy, NY. nyserda.ny.gov/publications
Year Published: 2019
Temporal variability in stream fish assemblage metrics and implications for long-term monitoring
High natural variability in the condition of fish communities in headwater streams complicates detection of long-term responses to changes in water quality. As a result, little is known about the impacts and recovery of fishes from acid deposition in streams of New York. Twenty-one fish metrics from annual electrofishing surveys at 13 streams...
George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Stich, Daniel S.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
Year Published: 2019
Acidification impacts and goals for gauging recovery of Brook Trout populations and fish communities in streams of the Western Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Results from several long‐term monitoring programs in the western Adirondack Mountains, New York, indicate that acid–base chemistry of headwater streams has remained unchanged or improved only marginally since the 1990s. A paucity of quantitative fishery data, however, limits our understanding of the pre‐acidified communities as well as present‐...
Baldigo, Barry; George, Scott; Lawrence, Gregory; Paul, EricAttribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
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
Pre-USGS Publications
Date published: October 18, 2019
Field Photo Friday Winner for October, 2019
USGS staffer Matthew Jennings collecting water quality samples on the lower Niagara River for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) project. Photo by John Wernly (Public domain)
Attribution: New York Water Science Center