Hydraulic relationships and depth measurements in the model evaluation of Stage 0 treatment on juvenile spring Chinook in the South Fork McKenzie River, Oregon

Low-tech river habitat restoration techniques, including Stage 0 treatments, are increasingly applied but often lack robust evaluation of their effects and benefits. In 2018, one kilometer of the South Fork McKenzie (SFMK) River OR was modified to Stage 0 conditions for the benefit of ESA-listed Chinook salmon by raising the incised channel to the geomorphic grade line, reconnecting relic side channels, increasing floodplain connectivity, and distributing large wood throughout the reach. Field observations indicated depths and velocities were lower at the treated site than at the untreated site. To understand how these changes in physical habitat may translate into changes in juvenile Chinook length, abundance, and emigration timing, this study combined field observations with the individual-based model inSALMO. This dataset provides the field observations of HOBO depth measurements and their locations, as well as hydraulic relationships of discharge and depth, and discharge and velocity. The relationships were developed based on both point measurements of velocity with an ADV and point measurements of depth using a staff gauge and continuous HOBO depth data.