DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.25242403.v2
title: Data for "Microhabitat conditions and habitat configuration influence juvenile salmonid use of off-channel features in the Cedar River, Washington"

description: These data are from a study of juvenile salmonid use of off-channel habitats in the lower Cedar River conducted in the spring of 2023 by the King County Water and Land Resources Division, Science and Technical Support Section. This study was funded by grant from the Puget Sound Partnership (agreement number 2023-35), along with internal King County funds from the River and Floodplain Management Section and the Ecological Restoration and Engineering Services Unit. Fish observations were made via nighttime snorkeling while the physical habitat data for each snorkel unit were collected during the day. For details of the data collection methods and study results, see the associated journal article published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management (https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.11061) or project technical report (https://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/library/2024/kcr3634.pdf). For other questions about these data, contact Aaron David (adavid@kingcounty.gov) or Rebekah Stiling (rstilling@kingcounty.gov).The dataset consists of four CSV files that contain the fish snorkel counts and habitat survey data for each sample unit, along with one geopackage file that contains all spatial data for in the project. See below for details regarding the CSV files."<i>Cedar_OC_fish_data_2023_06_07.csv</i>" contains the fish data for each snorkel unit. Below are the names of the variables contained in this file and descriptions of what the variables represent.<b>Project_name</b> - Short name of the research project.<b>Date_sampled</b> - The date a survey took place (mm/dd/yyyy).<b>Reach</b> - The reach sampled during an individual survey. Could be one of four reaches: Riverbend, Rainbow Bend, Jan Rd, and Van Ness. Riverbend and Jan Rd are habitat restoration and flood-risk reduction projects implemented by King County in 2022. Rainbow Bend is a habitat restoration project completed in 2013. Van Ness is a naturally formed side channel complex with some human impacts.<b>River_flow</b> - The river discharge (ft<sup>3</sup>/s) during a survey as recorded by the Cedar River at Renton USGS gauge (12119000).<b>Event_notes</b> - Notes about individual survey/sampling events.<b>Transect_ID</b> - A unique identifier for each habitat data collection/snorkel survey unit. This identifier can be used to join or merge the different datasets together.<b>Unit_ID</b> - A unique identifier for each habitat data collection/snorkel survey unit within an individual survey. However, this identifier can not be used to distinguish units across surveys.<b>Habitat_type</b> - Whether a snorkel survey unit was within a flow-through side channel or a backwater.<b>Area_surveyed</b> - The area of the snorkel survey unit, in square meters.<b>Transect_notes</b> - Notes about individual snorkel survey units.<b>Pass</b> - An indicator of whether or not a unit was snorkeled twice by separate individuals to estimate uncertainty around our snorkel counts. A blank cell indicates that a unit was only snorkeled once. A 'One' indicates the first snorkel pass for a unit that was snorkeled twice, while a 'Two' indicates the 2nd pass for a unit that was snorkeled twice.<b>Observers</b> - The initials of the individual who snorkeled a unit.<b>Species_code</b> - Three letter abbreviations for fish observed in each snorkel unit. An empty cell indicates no fish were observed in that unit. CHK = Chinook salmon; COH = Coho salmon; COT = Cottid/sculpin; DAC = Dace; LMP = Lamprey; MWF = Mountain whitefish; TRT = Trout (rainbow trout/steelhead or cutthroat trout); SOC = Sockeye salmon; TSB = three-spine stickleback; UNK = Unknown.<b>Age</b> - The estimated age of the observed juvenile salmonids based on their size and the time of year. Only recorded for Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, and Trout. Sub-yearling = 0+; yearling or older = 1+.<b>Number</b> - The number of fish observed. An empty cell indicates no fish were observed in that unit.<b>Length_class</b> - Estimated length bins for juvenile salmonids and cottids in millimeters.<b>Fish_notes</b> - Notes about observed fish."<i>Cedar_OC_habitat_data_2023_06_07.csv</i>" contains the habitat measurements for each snorkel unit. Below are the names of the variables contained in this file and descriptions of what the variables represent.<b>Project_name</b> - Short name of the research project.<b>Date_sampled</b> - The date a survey took place (mm/dd/yyyy).<b>Reach</b> - The reach sampled during an individual survey. Could be one of four reaches: Riverbend, Rainbow Bend, Jan Rd, and Van Ness. Riverbend and Jan Rd are habitat restoration and flood-risk reduction projects implemented by King County in 2022. Rainbow Bend is a habitat restoration project completed in 2013. Van Ness is a naturally formed side channel complex with some human impacts.<b>River_flow</b> - The river discharge (ft<sup>3</sup>/s) during a survey as recorded by the Cedar River at Renton USGS gauge (12119000).<b>Event_notes</b> - Notes about individual survey/sampling events.<b>Transect_ID</b> - A unique identifier for each habitat data collection/snorkel survey unit. This identifier can be used to join or merge the different datasets together.<b>Unit_ID</b> - A unique identifier for each habitat data collection/snorkel survey unit within an individual survey. However, this identifier can not be used to distinguish units across surveys.<b>Habitat_type</b> - Whether a snorkel survey unit was within a flow-through side channel or a backwater.<b>Transect_notes</b> - Notes about individual snorkel survey units.<b>Width</b> - The width of the wetted off-channel habitat feature in meters, measured at three locations for each snorkel survey unit.<b>Depth</b> - Water depth in meters, measured at three representative locations within each snorkel unit.<b>Velocity</b> - Water velocity (cm/s), measured at 0.6 x the water depth at three representative locations within each snorkel unit.<b>Cover_percent</b> - A visual estimate of the percentage of a snorkel unit that had cover within the water or up to 0.5 m above the unit. Cover estimates ranged from 0% to 100%, in 10% increments. Elements that were considered cover included large wood, riparian vegetation, and undercut banks, but not the interstitial spaces between or under large cobble, riprap, or boulders."<i>Cedar_OC_wood_data_2023_06_07.csv</i>" contains the large wood counts for each snorkel unit. Below are the names of the variables contained in this file and descriptions of what the variables represent.<b>Project_name</b> - Short name of the research project.<b>Date_sampled</b> - The date a survey took place (mm/dd/yyyy).<b>Reach</b> - The reach sampled during an individual survey. Could be one of four reaches: Riverbend, Rainbow Bend, Jan Rd, and Van Ness. Riverbend and Jan Rd are habitat restoration and flood-risk reduction projects implemented by King County in 2022. Rainbow Bend is a habitat restoration project completed in 2013. Van Ness is a naturally formed side channel complex with some human impacts.<b>River_flow</b> - The river discharge (ft<sup>3</sup>/s) during a survey as recorded by the Cedar River at Renton USGS gauge (12119000).<b>Event_notes</b> - Notes about individual survey/sampling events.<b>Transect_ID</b> - A unique identifier for each habitat data collection/snorkel survey unit. This identifier can be used to join or merge the different datasets together.<b>Unit_ID</b> - A unique identifier for each habitat data collection/snorkel survey unit within an individual survey. However, this identifier can not be used to distinguish units across surveys.<b>Habitat_type</b> - Whether a snorkel survey unit was within a flow-through side channel or a backwater.<b>Area_surveyed</b> - The area of the snorkel survey unit, in square meters.<b>Diameter_class</b> - Large wood diameter class bin. Our only diameter bin was &gt;10cm.<b>Length_class</b> - Large wood length class bin. Our only length bin was &gt;2m.<b>Wood_count</b> - The count of large wood pieces within individual snorkel survey units."<i>Cedar_OC_snorkel_units_2023_06_17.csv</i>" contains the distance from the nearest connection to the mainstem river for each snorkel survey unit. Below are the names of the variables contained in this file and descriptions of what the variables represent.<b>fid</b> - A unique identifier for each habitat data collection/snorkel survey unit generated by a GIS.<b>Reach</b> - The reach sampled during an individual survey.<b>Date_sampled</b> - The date a survey took place (mm/dd/yyyy).<b>Unit_ID</b> - A unique identifier for each habitat data collection/snorkel survey unit within an individual survey. However, this identifier can not be used to distinguish units across surveys.<b>Habitat_type</b> - Whether a snorkel survey unit was within a flow-through side channel or a backwater.<b>Area_m2</b> - The area of the snorkel survey unit, in square meters.<b>Distance_m</b> - The distance from the nearest connection to the mainstem Cedar River to the edge of the snorkel survey unit, in meters.<b>Notes</b> - Notes about individual snorkel survey units.