Experimental flume data on larval Murray cod entrainment across screen slot widths, velocities, and proximity

This dataset supports a study evaluating the effectiveness of modern fish-protection screens in reducing entrainment of larval Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii) at water intakes. It comprises experimental data from a series of trials conducted in a large, hydraulically calibrated flume, simulating screen conditions representative of those used in irrigation diversions in Australia and comparable jurisdictions. Larvae were exposed to combinations of two approach velocities (0.1 and 0.2 m s⁻¹), two wedgewire screen slot widths (2 and 3 mm), and three release distances (5, 15, and 30 cm) from the screen face. For each treatment, entrainment outcomes were recorded, and associated hydrodynamic data were collected using acoustic Doppler velocimetry. The dataset includes entrainment proportions by treatment combination, hydraulic velocity components (approach, sweeping, vertical), and spatial metadata. It allows exploration of how biological and physical parameters interact to influence larval fate at screened and unscreened intakes. This dataset underpins the analysis presented in the paper "Protecting larval fish at water intakes: Hydraulic and biological evidence for the effectiveness of modern fish-protection screens" and may be used to inform future design standards and species-specific risk assessments for larval fish in regulated rivers.