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.
Science and Products
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
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
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
Date published: August 28, 2015
Status: Active 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
Date published: August 28, 2015
Status: Active 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
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
Date published: August 13, 2015
Status: Active Assessing Spatiotemporal Patterns in Fish Assemblages from Acid-Sensitive Streams in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains
Background With few exceptions, the contemporary and past effects of acidification on fish populations and communities in streams across acid-sensitive regions of NY have not been documented. The pervasive lack of information only permits anecdotal insight into the spatial effects of acidification on stream-fish assemblages and essentially precludes any broad effort to quantify temporal tre...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George
Date published: August 13, 2015
Status: Active Quantitative assessment of water quality in the Upper Esopus Creek using fatty acid content of periphyton
Problem - The Esopus Creek is located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State and is part of the New York City (NYC) drinking water supply system. The basin was dammed in 1915 to form the Ashokan Reservoir splitting the creek into Upper (upstream of the reservoir) and Lower segments. The Schoharie Reservoir, located 27 miles north of the Ashokan Reservoir, supplies water to Upper Esopus...
Contacts: Scott George, Barry P Baldigo
Date published: August 13, 2015
Status: Active Didymosphenia geminata in the Upper Esopus Creek: Seasonal changes in density and distribution, controlling environmental factors, and potential ecosystem impacts
Background The invasive diatom Didymosphenia geminata (didymo) has historically been a wide-spread, but rare, micro algae found in moderately flowing cold-water streams of North America, Europe, Asia, and (more recently) New Zealand. Demographic patterns of didymo have recently changed resulting in greater spatial coverage and temporal persistence (e.g. blooms) in streams worldwide. Didymo...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George
Date published: August 12, 2015
Status: Active Identifying Thermal Refuges in the Schoharie Watershed
Problem Water temperature is a critical component of trout habitat. Stream temperatures not only affect the distribution, behavior, and survival of trout (and other species), but also compel these species to move toward small areas of preferred temperatures, known as refuges, to maximize growth, survival, and fitness. The Schoharie watershed in the Catskill Mountains, including East Kill, West...
Date published: August 11, 2015
Status: Active Spatiotemporal trends in fish assemblages of the Mohawk River
Problem The mainstem of the Mohawk River extends from Lake Delta Dam near Rome, NY downstream to its confluence with the Hudson River near Cohoes, NY. It supports a diverse fishery that is used extensively by recreational anglers. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and walleye (Sander vitreus) are among the most popular game species with anglers but past biological surveys have...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George, Scott Wells
Date published: August 6, 2015
Status: Active Response of Fish Assemblages to Changing Acid-base Chemistry in Adirondack Long Term Monitoring Lakes, 1984-2012
Background The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation (ALSC) repeatedly surveyed fish assemblages and characterized water chemistry from 44 to 52 lakes during the periods 1984-1987 and 1994-2005, and 2008-2012 to document the regional effects of acidic deposition and potential recovery associated with the 1990 Clean Air Act...
Contacts: Barry P Baldigo, Scott George, Karen Roy, Charley Driscoll
Year Published: 2017
Assessing condition of macroinvertebrate communities and bed sediment toxicity in the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern, New York, USA
The United States 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 1972. The lowest reach of the Genesee River and the Rochester Embayment on Lake Ontario between Bogus Point and Nine Mile Point, including Braddock Bay, were designated...
Duffy, Brian; George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Smith, Alexander J.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources
View Citation
Duffy, B.T., George, S.D., Baldigo, B.P., Smith, A.J., Assessing condition of macroinvertebrate communities and bed sediment toxicity in the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern, New York, USA. J. Great Lakes Res. (2017) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2017.02.002
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.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, JacobView 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.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.
Year Published: 2016
Variations in water temperature and implications for trout populations in the Upper Schoharie Creek and West Kill, New York, USA
Water temperature is a key component of aquatic ecosystems because it plays a pivotal role in determining the suitability of stream and river habitat to most freshwater fish species. Continuous temperature loggers and airborne thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing were used to assess temporal and spatial temperature patterns on the Upper Schoharie...
George, Scott D.; Baldigo, Barry P.; Smith, Martyn J.; Mckeown, Donald M; Faulringer, JasonView Citation
Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Martyn J. Smith, Donald M. McKeown &
Jason W. Faulring (2015): Variations in water temperature and implications for trout populations in the Upper Schoharie Creek and West Kill, New York, USA, Journal of Freshwater Ecology, DOI: 10.1080/02705060.2015.1033769
Year Published: 2015
Potential estrogenic effects of wastewaters on gene expression in Pimephales promelas and fish assemblages in streams of southeastern New York
Direct linkages between endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from municipal and industrial wastewaters and impacts on wild fish assemblages are rare. The levels of plasma vitellogenin (Vtg) and Vtg messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to wastewater effluents and dilutions of 17α-...
Baldigo, Barry P.; George, Scott D.; Phillips, Patrick J.; Hemming, Joceyln D. C.; Denslow, Nancy D.; Kroll, Kevin J.Attribution: New York Water Science Center, Water Resources, Ecosystems, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Environmental Health Program
View Citation
Baldigo, B. P., George, S. D., Phillips, P. J., Hemming, J. D.C., Denslow, N. D. and Kroll, K. J. (2015), Potential estrogenic effects of wastewaters on gene expression in Pimephales promelas and fish assemblages in streams of southeastern New York. Environ Toxicol Chem. doi:10.1002/etc.3120