Fish size and assemblage patterns following dam failure in Black Rock Brook New York

Key Words: dam removal • fish assemblages • species diversity • stream ecology • morphometrics • ecological monitoring

The study, published in Journal of Freshwater Ecology and authored by Environmental Science faculty member CPT Alaina McLaughlin and a fellow 2017 West Point classmate, builds on research the two authors conducted together as cadets investigating fish populations in Black Rock Brook, New York. After a hurricane caused the Cornwall Lower Reservoir dam to fail in 2011, the authors were able to compare fish data collected before the failure in 2010 with surveys of the same stream reaches conducted in 2017. The post-failure survey documented significantly smaller blacknose dace and lower observed fish species richness and diversity both above and below the former dam, demonstrating that ecological responses to barrier loss can extend throughout a stream and vary among species. The findings highlight the importance of long-term ecological monitoring while demonstrating how baseline data collected through cadet research can provide lasting value for understanding environmental change and guiding future management decisions.

To cite this article: McLaughlin A. & McConnell, H. (2026). Fish size and assemblage patterns following dam failure in Black Rock Brook, New York, Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 41:1, 2703163, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.2026.2703163

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