Trask River Watershed Study: Stream discharge, 2007-2016

These data are a portion of the larger Trask River Watershed Study which was conducted in the East Fork of the South Fork Trask River of the Coast Range of western Oregon. The Trask River Watershed study area consists of 4 large catchments: Pothole Creek, Gus Creek, Rock Creek, and Upper Main Trask. Within each of the four catchments, 2-4 headwater sites and a downstream site were sampled. In general, Trask River Watershed study data were collected during pre-harvest (2006-2011) and post-harvest (2013-2016) periods, from treated and reference headwater watersheds and from downstream sites.

The stream discharge data included in this data publication were collected at 13 different open channel gage and flume stations in headwater streams of the Trask River Watershed. Open channel gage stations were established at 5 downstream sites in spring of 2007. These sites were downstream from smaller headwater harvested and reference watersheds. They were larger fish bearing streams, located on mainstem tributaries of the upper Trask River Watershed. Watershed areas draining into these open channel gage stations ranged from 278 hectares (ha) (Upper Trask downstream) to 1459 ha (East Fork South Fork Trask River downstream). Flumes were installed on 6 small headwater streams in autumn of 2008. Flume widths ranged from 24 inches (Pothole Creek 4; 26 ha) to 60 inches (Upper Main Trask 1; 45 ha). An additional 2 flumes with widths of 36 inches were installed in autumn of 2009 at Gus Creek 1 (27 ha) and Gus Creek 2 (39 ha). All open channel gage and flume stations were monitored consistently until October 2016. Data consist of stage height (meters) and instantaneous discharge (liters/second), collected using equipment maintained by researchers associated with Oregon State University. Measurements occurred at 10-minute intervals and are organized by water year (October 1 - September 30) unless otherwise noted. Data flag codes are also included to describe whether the data value at a given time was missing, questionable, or adjusted. Calculation of discharge from stage height used standardized equations for the flumes and rating curves from instream measurements of discharge at the downstream open channel sites.
These data are a portion of the larger Trask River Watershed Study. The general objectives of the Trask River Watershed Study were to investigate the effects of forest harvest on the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of small headwater streams, and the extent to which alterations in stream conditions caused by harvest along headwater channels influence the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of downstream fish-bearing streams.