Gage Height, Turbidity, and Acoustic Backscatter Data Collected During Experimental Sediment Release from Willwood Dam on the Shoshone River in Park County, Wyoming, April 11-13, 2023

The Willwood Working Group Two of Wyoming conducted an experimental sediment release from Willwood Dam from April 11-13, 2023. The experiment involved opening sluice gates at the base of Willwood Dam to draw down the dam pool which created energy to mobilize sediment deposits behind the dam. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released up to 4,000 cubic feet per second from Buffalo Bill Dam into the Shoshone River on the morning of April 11 and continued this magnitude of release through April 13. The release was intended to keep released sediments from behind Willwood Dam mobilized so they did not deposit on the bed of the Shoshone River downstream from Willwood Dam. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Willwood Irrigation District took measurements of turbidity and acoustic backscatter (ABS) as surrogate measures of suspended sediment. The measurements were taken at and near discontinued USGS streamgage 06284010 and at a boat ramp approximately 2500 feet downstream from 06284010. This data release consists of gage height, turbidity, and acoustic backscatter data.