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Scott V Mize

Scott Mize is a Hydrologist for the USGS at the Lower Mississippi-Gulf (LMG) Water Science Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Scott received his BS Geology with a minor in Soil and Water Science from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and a MS Environmental Science and Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. Research interests include: (1) water quality relations to aquatic ecological communities, (2) riverine and coastal ecosystems, and (3) aquatic toxicology. His interests include music, outdoor activities, brewing, cooking, gardening, traveling, and pets.



 

Professional Experience

  • Hydrologist/Aquatic Ecologist (2021-Present)
    U.S. Geological Survey, 3535 South Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70816.

  • LMG-Coastal Systems Unit Coordinator (2019 - 2021); Hydrologist/Aquatic Ecologist (2000-2019)
    U.S. Geological Survey, 3535 South Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70816.

  • Hydrologist (1996 - 2000)
    U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division

Education and Certifications

  • MS, Environmental Science and Engineering
    Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO.

  • BS, Geology, Minor: Soil and Water Science
    University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

Science and Products

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Microcystin

Detecting Sublethal Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms in Mammalian and Avian Cells

USGS Researchers are collaborating to study avian and mammalian cells to detect sublethal toxin effects following exposure to harmful algal blooms.
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Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Kansas Water Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Detecting Sublethal Effects of Harmful Algal Blooms in Mammalian and Avian Cells

USGS Researchers are collaborating to study avian and mammalian cells to detect sublethal toxin effects following exposure to harmful algal blooms.
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Lake Pontchartrain Calibration Site

Water Quality in Lake Pontchartrain and western Mississippi Sound during openings of Bonnet Carré Spillway

The Bonnet Carré Spillway, located about 28 miles northwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, was constructed in the early 1930s as part of an integrated flood-control structure for the lower Mississippi River Plain. The spillway is designed to divert water from the Mississippi River into Lake Pontchartrain, thus relieving pressure on levees downstream. Opening of the spillway occurs when measured...
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Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River
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Water Quality in Lake Pontchartrain and western Mississippi Sound during openings of Bonnet Carré Spillway

The Bonnet Carré Spillway, located about 28 miles northwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, was constructed in the early 1930s as part of an integrated flood-control structure for the lower Mississippi River Plain. The spillway is designed to divert water from the Mississippi River into Lake Pontchartrain, thus relieving pressure on levees downstream. Opening of the spillway occurs when measured...
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USGS science for a changing world

Louisiana Public Awareness, Hydrologic Studies, and Hydrologic Data

Louisiana Public Awareness, Hydrologic Studies, and Hydrologic Data
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Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center
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Louisiana Public Awareness, Hydrologic Studies, and Hydrologic Data

Louisiana Public Awareness, Hydrologic Studies, and Hydrologic Data
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High resolution water quality and dissolved carbon data from a coastal Louisiana salt marsh from 2019 to 2022

Continuous water quality sensor data were collected at USGS 292939089544400 Wilkinson Bayou cutoff north of Wilkinson Bay, LA gage. Field water-quality measurements were collected using a YSI EXO2 water-quality sonde equipped with a data logger to capture hourly data using sensors for measuring water temperature, specific conductance, salinity, pH, oxidation and reduction potential (ORP), fluoresc
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Water-quality and phytoplankton data for Lake Pontchartrain and the western Mississippi Sound associated with operation of the Bonnet Carre Spillway, 2008-2020

The Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS), located about 28 miles northwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, was constructed in the early 1930s as part of an integrated flood-control system for the lower Mississippi River Plain. The BCS is designed to divert water from the Mississippi River (MSR) into Lake Pontchartrain (LP), which then flows into Lake Borgne and the Mississippi Sound (MS Sound), thus relieving p
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Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Gulf of Mexico

Datasets of Suspended Sediment Concentration and Percent Fines (1973–2021), Sampling Information (1973–2021), and Daily Streamflow (1928–2021) for Sites in the Lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers to Support Analyses of Sediment Tran

Datasets of suspended sediment concentration and percent fines, sampling information, and daily streamflow data were compiled and harmonized for 16 sites to better understand sediment transport and delivery in the Lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. The compiled data were harmonized by removing unnecessary columns, screening data for laboratory or sampling issues, creating consistent entries
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Central Midwest Water Science Center

Wetland elevation and soil characteristics across Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge (2020-2021)

The recent completion of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) for New Orleans has effectively blocked surface water exchange between Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge (BSNWR) and the surrounding Lake(s) Pontchartrain and Borgne and the Gulf of Mexico to which it was once connected. Monitoring changes in hydrology, water quality, bird
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Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

Mean seasonal time-step estimates of daily streamflow and daily baseflow, and loads of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids at surface-water stations in the southeastern United States, 2001-14

This metadata record describes mean seasonal time-step estimates of daily streamflow and daily baseflow, and total and baseflow estimates of loads of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids at surface-water stations in the southeastern United States for the period 2001-14. Streamflow and load estimates described in this data release were obtained using the Fluxmaster approach
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Water Resources Mission Area

Benthic Algae and Phytoplankton Community and Toxin Data for Selected Stations in the Mississippi Sound, 2019

The Bonnet Carré Spillway (BCS), located about 28 miles northwest of New Orleans, was constructed by the US Army Corp of Engineers in the early 1930s as part of an integrated flood-control system for the lower Mississippi River (MR). The BCS control structure consists of 350 individual bays that can be opened to divert water from the river to Lake Pontchartrain to relieve pressure on downstream le
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Contaminant Biology, Environmental Health Program, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

Water Quality Profile and Phytoplankton Community Data for Four Central Louisiana Oxbow Lakes, 2013-2015

Nutrient and phytoplankton data indicate poor environmental health in four oxbow lakes in central Louisiana suggesting that long-term agriculture practices and increases in shoreline development have accelerated eutrophication. Surface-water quality and phytoplankton indicators of eutrophication were examined at Lake Bruin, Lake St. John, Lake St. Joseph, and False River Lake along an eutrophicati
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Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

Annual estimates of suspended-sediment concentration and load to support trend analysis on the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River, 1980-2015

This data release contains annual estimates of suspended-sediment concentration and load for the Mississippi River, St. Francisville site and the Atchafalaya River, Melville site from 1980-2015. Annual estimates and flow-normalized estimates were generated using the Weighted Regressions on Time, Season and Discharge (WRTDS) model. Input data for the model included suspended-sediment concentrations
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Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center
Filter Total Items: 21

Differing field methods and site conditions lead to varying bias in suspended sediment concentrations in the Lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers

At sites that have been sampled for decades, changes in field and laboratory methods happen over time as instrumentation and protocols improve. Here, we compare the influence of depth- and point-integrated sampling on total, fine (< 0.0625 mm), and coarse (≥ 0.0625 mm) suspended sediment (SS) concentrations in the Lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. Using historical field method information,
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Jennifer C. Murphy, Lindsey Ayn Schafer, Scott Mize
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Central Midwest Water Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Mississippi River

Juvenile African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) express growth, metamorphosis, mortality, gene expression, and metabolic changes when exposed to thiamethoxam and clothianidin

Neonicotinoids (NEO) represent the main class of insecticides currently in use, with thiamethoxam (THX) and clothianidin (CLO) primarily applied agriculturally. With few comprehensive studies having been performed with non-target amphibians, the aim was to investigate potential biomarker responses along an adverse outcome pathway of NEO exposure, whereby data were collected on multiple biological
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Jill Jenkins, Katherine R. Hartop, Ghadeer Bukhari, Debra E. Howton, Kelly L. Smalling, Scott Mize, Michelle Hladik, Darren Johnson, Rassa Dale, Bonnie L. Brown
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Water Resources Mission Area, Ecosystems Mission Area, California Water Science Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Council monitoring and assessment program (CMAP): Common monitoring program attributes and methodologies for the Gulf of Mexico Region

Executive Summary Under the Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act), the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council or Council) is required to report on the progress of funded projects and programs. Systematic monitoring of restoration at the project-specific and programmatic-levels (i.e.
Authors
Julie Bosch, Heidi B Burkart, Bogdan Chivoiu, Randy Clark, Chris Clement, Nicholas Enwright, Steve Giordano, Chris Jeffrey, Ed Johnson, Rheannon Hart, Sarah D Hile, Jacob S Howell, Claudia Laurenzano, Michael Lee, Terrance McCloskey, Terry McTigue, Michelle B Meyers, Katie E Miller, Scott Mize, Mark E. Monaco, Kevin Owen, Richard Rebich, Samuel H. Rendon, Ali Robertson, Thomas Sample, Kelly Marie Sanks, Gregory Steyer, Kevin Suir, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Hana Rose Thurman
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Council monitoring and assessment program (CMAP): A framework for using the monitoring program inventory to conduct gap assessments for the Gulf of Mexico Region

Executive Summary Under the Resources and Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act), the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council or Council) is required to report on the progress of funded projects and programs. Systematic monitoring of restoration at the project-specific and programmatic-levels (wate
Authors
Julie Bosch, Heidi B Burkart, Bogdan Chivoiu, Randy Clark, Chris Clement, Nicholas Enwright, Steve Giordano, Chris Jeffrey, Ed Johnson, Rheannon Hart, Sarah D Hile, Jacob S Howell, Claudia Laurenzano, Michael Lee, Terrance McCloskey, Terry McTigue, Michelle B Meyers, Katie E Miller, Scott Mize, Mark E. Monaco, Kevin Owen, Richard Rebich, Samuel H. Rendon, Ali Robertson, Thomas Sample, Kelly Marie Sanks, Gregory Steyer, Kevin Suir, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Hana Rose Thurman
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Council monitoring and assessment program (CMAP) compilation of existing habitat and water quality monitoring and mapping assessments for the Gulf of Mexico Region

This report is a deliverable to the RESTORE Council for Task 7: Document the existing baseline habitat and water quality conditions prior to implementation of the restoration projects; these baseline conditions will serve as a basis for measuring change/progress after restoration. It is the second in a series of CMAP reports. The first report describes the process and development of the CMAP monit
Authors
Julie Bosch, Heidi Burkart, Bogdan Chivoiu, Randy Clark, Chris Clement, Nicholas Enwright, Steve Giordano, Chris Jeffrey, Ed Johnson, Rheannon M. Hart, Sarah Davidson Hile, Jacob Howell, Claudia Laurenzano, Michael T. Lee, Terrence A. McCloskey, Terry McTigue, Michelle B. Meyers, Scott V. Mize, Mark E. Monaco, Kevin Owen, Richard A. Rebich, Samuel H. Rendon, Ali Robertson, Thomas Sample, Gregory D. Steyer, Kevin J. Suir, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Katie Watson
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Council Monitoring and Assessment Program (CMAP): Inventory of existing water quality and habitat monitoring, and mapping metadata for Gulf of Mexico Programs

Under the Council-Selected Restoration Component of the RESTORE Act, the Council develops Funded Priority Lists (FPLs) that describe the projects and programs it will fund. Projects and programs funded through this component must be in furtherance of the goals and objectives of the Council’s Comprehensive Plan and address at least one of the restoration criteria identified in the RESTORE Act. The
Authors
Julie Bosch, Heidi Burkart, Bogdan Chivoiu, Randy Clark, Chris Clement, Nicholas Enwright, Steve Giordano, Chris Jeffrey, Edward Johnson, Rheannon M. Hart, Sarah Hile, Jacob Howell, Claudia Laurenzano, Michael T. Lee, Terrence A. McCloskey, Terry McTigue, Michelle B. Meyers, Scott Mize, Mark E. Monaco, Kevin Owen, Richard A. Rebich, Samuel H. Rendon, Ali Robertson, Thomas Sample, Gregory D. Steyer, Kevin J. Suir, Christopher M. Swarzenski, Katie Watson
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Gulf of Mexico

Suspended-sediment concentrations and loads in the lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers decreased by half between 1980 and 2015

The Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) model was used to derive estimates of suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and suspended-sediment load (SSL), their dependence on discharge, and their trends with confidence intervals, for one site each on the lowermost Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. The WRTDS model reduces uncertainty in SSCs related to variable streamflow con
Authors
Scott Mize, Jennifer C. Murphy, Timothy H. Diehl, Dennis K. Demcheck
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Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

Effects of hydrologic modifications on salinity and formation of hypoxia in the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet and adjacent waterways, southeastern Louisiana, 2008 to 2012

The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MRGO) was constructed between 1958 and 1968 to provide a safer and shorter route between the Gulf of Mexico and the Port of New Orleans for ocean-going vessels. In 2006, the U.S. Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to develop and implement a plan to deauthorize a portion of the MRGO ship channel from its confluence with the Gulf Intracoasta
Authors
Christopher M. Swarzenski, Scott V. Mize
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Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

Invertebrate and fish assemblage relations to dissolved oxygen minima in lowland streams of southwestern Louisiana

Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in lowland streams are naturally lower than those in upland streams; however, in some regions where monitoring data are lacking, DO criteria originally established for upland streams have been applied to lowland streams. This study investigated the DO concentrations at which fish and invertebrate assemblages at 35 sites located on lowland streams in southwester
Authors
B. G. Justus, Scott V. Mize, Daniel Kroes
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Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

Water-quality, bed-sediment, and discharge data for the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet and adjacent waterways, southeastern Louisiana, August 2008 through December 2009

The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet navigation channel (MRGO) was constructed in the early 1960s to provide a safer and shorter route between the Gulf of Mexico and the Port of New Orleans for deep-draft, ocean-going vessels and to promote the economic development of the Port of New Orleans. In 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed a plan to de-authorize the MRGO. The plan called for a ro
Authors
Christopher M. Swarzenski, Scott V. Mize, John K. Lovelace
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Water Resources Mission Area, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center

Temporal trends in algae, benthic invertebrate, and fish assemblages in streams and rivers draining basins of varying land use in the south-central United States, 1993-2007

Site-specific temporal trends in algae, benthic invertebrate, and fish assemblages were investigated in 15 streams and rivers draining basins of varying land use in the south-central United States from 1993–2007. A multivariate approach was used to identify sites with statistically significant trends in aquatic assemblages which were then tested for correlations with assemblage metrics and abiotic
Authors
Matthew P. Miller, Jonathan Kennen, Jeffrey A. Mabe, Scott V. Mize
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Water Resources Mission Area, Utah Water Science Center

Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico from Streams in the South-Central United States

SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were developed to estimate nutrient inputs [total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)] to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South‐Central United States (U.S.). This area included drainages of the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas‐White‐Red, and Texas‐Gulf hydrologic regions. The models were standa
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Richard A. Rebich, Natalie A. Houston, Scott V. Mize, Daniel Pearson, Patricia B. Ging, Hornig C. Evan
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Water Resources Mission Area, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Mize, S.V., Murphy, J.C., Diehl, T.H., and Demcheck, D.L. (2018) Suspended-sediment concentrations and loads in the lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers decreased by half between 1980 and 2015. Journal of Hydrology, 564, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.05.068
Jenkins,J.A., B Brown, K.L. Smalling, K.R. Hartop, S.V. Mize, A.J. Dickinson, D.E. Pridgen, B.K. Hopkins, S. Kirschner, M.L Hladik. (2016). Effect of sublethal exposures of adult Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates pipiens, and larval African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis, to clothianidin and thiamethoxam [abs.], 7th SETAC World Congress/SETAC North America 37th annual meeting, Nov. 6-10, 2016, Orlando, Fla.Abs 607. https://orlando.setac.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/SETAC-Orlando-Abstract-Book.pdf . IP-076674.
Rebich, R.A., Houston, N.A., Mize, S.V., Pearson, D.K., Ging, P.B., and Hornig, C.E. (2011) Sources and delivery of nutrients to the northwestern Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South-Central United States, Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 47(5):1061-1086, 26p.
Mize, S.V. and Demcheck, D.K. (2009) Water-quality and phytoplankton communities in Lake Pontchartrain during and after the Bonnet Carré Spillway opening, April to October 2008, in Louisiana, USA, Geo-Marine Letters 29, p. 431-440.
Mize, S.V., Porter, S.D., Demcheck, D.K. (2008) Influence of fipronil compounds and rice-cultivation land-use intensity on macroinvertebrate communities in streams of southwestern Louisiana, USA, Environmental Pollution 152, p. 491-503.
Deacon, J.R., Spahr, N.E., Mize, S.V., and Boulger, R.W. (2001) Using water, bryophytes, and macroinvertebrates to assess trace element concentrations in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Hydrobiologia, Supplement 455, p. 29-39.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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