Soil moisture and temperature in three catchments within the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon USA, 2022-2023

This dataset contains continuous soil volumetric water content (VWC, m³/m³) and soil temperature (degree C) measurements collected at 15-minute intervals from three catchments at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA), located in the Western Cascades of Oregon (44.2°N, 122.25°W). Data were collected from August 2022 through August 2023 across three catchments representing distinct geomorphic process domains and hydrologic regimes: Cold Creek (glaciated, spring-fed), GSWS02 (debris flow domain, rainfall-dominated), and GSWS08 (earthflow terrain, rain-snow transition). At each catchment, Meter TEROS 12 sensors were installed at 20 cm and 50 cm depths across riparian, mid-slope, and hillslope positions, yielding paired shallow and deep soil moisture measurements across a topographic gradient. Data collection was designed to characterize spatial and temporal variability in soil moisture dynamics and their relationship to precipitation and streamflow generation across catchments with differing subsurface geology and geomorphology. This dataset supports investigation of runoff generation processes, antecedent moisture controls on storm response, and hillslope-to-stream hydrologic connectivity in old-growth coniferous forest catchments of the Pacific Northwest. Data collection is ongoing, though the Cold Creek transect was destroyed by the Lookout Fire in August 2023 and reinstalled in June 2024.