Observations of Yaquina Bay estuary water temperature, salinity, depth, and other properties, 2020-2023

This dataset includes temperature, conductivity, salinity, pressure, turbidity, and chlorophyll fluorescence data collected over an approximately 2.5-year period from summer 2020 to spring 2023. We collected data in two main formats; time series at set locations and vertical profiles at discrete times. Data were collected at eleven sites distributed throughout the estuary, from the mouth of the estuary near buoy 7 (just downriver of the Yaquina Bay bridge) to the dock at Elk City where a major tributary, Big Elk Creek, joins the Yaquina River. Vertical profiles of temperature, conductivity, pressure, turbidity, and chlorophyll fluorescence were collected at all sites, mostly on a biweekly to monthly basis, using a profiling CTD instrument. Time series of temperature, conductivity, and pressure were collected at nine sites at surface and subsurface depths for most of the study period. The data were processed to remove poor quality values. At each site, primary and secondary instruments were combined to produce more complete time series in case of primary instrument failures.