Suspended sediment and water temperature monitoring in the Sauk River, Washington, water years 2012-2016

The Sauk River, a fedrally designated Wild and Scenic River, is one of the few large glacier-fed rivers in western Washington that is unconstrained by dams and drains a relatively pristine landscape which includes Glacier Peak, a glaciated stratovolcano. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a 5-year study (2012-2016 water years) of suspended-sediment and water temperature monitoring for the purpose of determining suspended-sediment loads and identifying sediment production regimes and associated seasonality of sediment transport. Monitoring occurred at three USGS streamgages on the Sauk River, including two long-term gages with more than 90 years of continuous record and a new gage installed for the purpose of the study. Turbidity sensors at each streamgage measured turbidity and water temperature at 15-minute intervals. Suspended-sediment samples were collected at each streamgage over a range of discharge and turbidity conditions. Regression equations were developed to estimate the suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and the concentration of fine suspended-sediment (fSSC; <0.0625 mm) at each streamgage using turbidity and/or discharge as explanatory variables. A 15-minute timeseries of SSC, fSSC, and the uncertainty of individual estimates (prediction intervals with 90 percent confidence) was computed for each streamgage and is provided. A daily timeseries of suspended-sediment load (SSL) and fine suspended-sediment load (fSSL) derived from either 15-minute, or daily, SSC and discharge data was computed at each streamgage and is provided for the 5-year period. A daily timeseries of water temperature at each streamgage is also provided.

                                            [
  "010:12"
]
                                        

                                            {
  "fn": "Christopher A. Curran",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:ccurran@usgs.gov"
}
                                        

                                            [
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Digital Data",
    "format": "XML",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.5066/F77S7MNB",
    "mediaType": "application/http",
    "description": "Landing page for access to the data"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Original Metadata",
    "format": "XML",
    "mediaType": "text/xml",
    "description": "The metadata original format",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.usgs.gov/datacatalog/metadata/USGS.59554608e4b04e08be5328a3.xml"
  }
]
                                        

                                            [
  "Sauk River",
  "Skagit County",
  "Snohomish County",
  "Suspended-sediment concentration",
  "Suspended-sediment load",
  "Turbidity",
  "USGS:59554608e4b04e08be5328a3",
  "Water Temperature"
]
                                        

                                            {
  "name": "U.S. Geological Survey",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
                                        

                                            [
  "Geospatial"
]