This data release includes multispectral images and field measurements of water depth from the Sacramento River near Glenn, California, used to evaluate the potential for efficient reach-scale mapping of river bathymetry using Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS). The images were acquired by a MicaSense RedEdge-MX Dual Camera deployed from a Trinity F90 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS. The 4 km long study area along the Sacramento River was subdivided into three distinct but adjacent areas of interest (AOIs) and image data were collected from one AOI each day between September 14 and 16, 2021. The image data were ortho-rectified using Quantum-Systems QBase 3D and Agisoft Metashape software and saved as GeoTIFF files. A header text file is also included with each of the images and includes information on the 10 bands of the MicaSense RedEdge-MX Dual Camera, which include: Band 1 (Coastal blue): 444 nm Band 2 (Blue): 475 nm Band 3 (Green): 531 nm Band 4 (Green): 560 nm Band 5 (Red): 650 nm Band 6 (Red): 668 nm Band 7 (Red Edge): 705 nm Band 8 (Red Edge): 717 nm Band 9 (Red Edge): 740 nm Band 10 (Near Infrared): 842 nm Each image has an associated ENVI format header text file that also contains this spectral information. The pixel values for these images are digital numbers between 0 and 65535 for all 10 spectral bands. To convert these digital numbers to reflectance values between 0 and 1, divide each pixel value in each band by 32768. To display the images as a familiar true-color composite, band 5 can be displayed as red, band 4 as green, and band 2 as blue. Water depths were measured directly in the field to calibrate relationships between depth and reflectance and to assess the accuracy of image-derived depth estimates. In shallow areas along the margins of the channel, depth measurements were made while wading with a Trimble R10 real-time kinematic (RTK) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver to record spatial coordinates and riverbed elevations. Additional points along the edge of the water were surveyed to capture the water surface elevation and depths for points within the channel were calculated by subtracting the local bed elevation from the nearest water surface elevation. For deeper areas that could not be waded safely, another Trimble R10 RTK GNSS receiver was mounted on a boat with an outboard motor and connected to a Seafloor Systems SonarMite echo sounder that measured the water depth. The boat-based data were collected along a series of 25 channel-spanning cross sections and one longitudinal profile that extended over the full length of the study area. The map projection and datum for the shapefiles and GeoTIFF images contained in this data release are UTM Zone 10 N and NAD83, respectively. Each shapefile has coordinates in units of meters and the depth measurements are also in meters.

A reach of the Sacramento River near Glenn, California, was selected as a field site to test the performance of a software-defined radar (SDRadar) developed by the University of Southern California. The SDRadar can be deployed from an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) and is designed to measure river depth. This data release contains measurements of river depth collected with two different models of acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) on separate days. One ADCP was operated from a crewed boat on September 18, 2024 (file 091824_ADCP_depths.csv) and the second ADCP was operated from a remote-controlled boat on September 19, 2024 (file 091924_ADCP_depths.csv). Each ADCP collected depth along multiple passes across the river following the path of a predefined cross section. Corresponding depths were collected on September 18, 2024 (file 091824_SDRadar_B.csv) and on September 19, 2024 (file 091924_SDRadar_A.csv) with the UAS-based SDRadar over the same predefined cross section. The designations A and B in the file names refer to specific flights that are referenced in an associated manuscript. A temporary pressure transducer installed along the reach indicated that water surface elevation was nearly identical between the two days. The ADCP data is provided as a comma delimited text file with the following column headers and descriptions: 1) x_meters: easting (x) spatial coordinate in meters; 2) y_meters: northing (y) spatial coordinate in meters; 3) depth_meters: depth in meters; The spatial coordinates are projected in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 10, NAD83 datum. The SDRadar data is provided as comma delimited text files with the following column headers and descriptions: 1) Date and Time [UTC]: The date and time of the measurement; 2) Latitude [deg]: the latitude of the measurement location, in decimal degrees; 3) Longitude [deg]: the longitude of the measurement location, in decimal degrees; 4) Elevation [m]: the elevation of the GPS antenna, in meters; 5) UAS Height [m]: the height of the UAS above the water surface as measured by the radar, in meters; 6) Water Depth [m]: the water depth measured by the radar, in meters.

Multispectral satellite image data from the upper Sacramento River in northern California were acquired on October 18, 2017, to support research on remote sensing of rivers, particularly retrieval of water depth, and to facilitate efforts to characterize salmon habitat conditions and geomorphic change along the upper Sacramento River. These data were collected by the WorldView-3 (WV3) satellite, operated by DigitalGlobe and obtained through the EnhancedView license program administered by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA); the image data remain copyright of DigitalGlobe (2018). DigitalGlobe performed initial radiometric and geometric processing of the image. The data were acquired from the WorldView-3 satellite from an orbit with an altitude of 617 km and have a spatial resolution (pixel size) of 1.36 m. The data set consists of 8 spectral bands spanning the visible and near infrared wavelength range from 400-954 nanometers. The image pixel values represent raw digital counts and conversion to radiance, atmospheric correction, and reflectance retrieval have not been performed for the image included in this data release. The image is in a GeoTIFF format with pixel values stored as 16-bit unsigned integers. The image provided in this data release is a subset focused on the reach of the Sacramento River where it is joined by its tributary Cottonwood Creek. Supporting field data from this reach were collected in coordination with the acquisition of the remotely sensed data.

Multispectral satellite image data from the upper Sacramento River in northern California were acquired on October 18, 2017, to support research on remote sensing of rivers, particularly retrieval of water depth, and to facilitate efforts to characterize salmon habitat conditions and geomorphic change along the upper Sacramento River. These data were collected by the WorldView-3 (WV3) satellite, operated by DigitalGlobe and obtained through the EnhancedView license program administered by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA); the image data remain copyright of DigitalGlobe (2018). DigitalGlobe performed initial radiometric and geometric processing of the image. The data were acquired from the WorldView-3 satellite from an orbit with an altitude of 617 km and have a spatial resolution (pixel size) of 1.36 m. The data set consists of 8 spectral bands spanning the visible and near infrared wavelength range from 400-954 nanometers. The image pixel values represent raw digital counts and conversion to radiance, atmospheric correction, and reflectance retrieval have not been performed for the image included in this data release. The image is in a GeoTIFF format with pixel values stored as 16-bit unsigned integers. The image provided in this data release is a subset focused on the reach of the Sacramento River where it is joined by its tributary Cottonwood Creek. Supporting field data from this reach were collected in coordination with the acquisition of the remotely sensed data.

Field-based multibeam sonar surveys were collected along the Colorado River, near Lees Ferry, Arizona from a motorized cataraft. These data were used to assess the accuracy of river bathymetry inferred from the ASTRALiTe bathymetric lidar, acquired contemporaneously from the same survey vessel. These data sets were collected to support research focused on developing innovative methods for non-contact measurement of river discharge based on various forms of remotely sensed data. The sonar survey data were exported to a comma-separated text file and the resulting *.csv file contain for each point the spatial coordinates, and depth (expressed as a negative number), all in meters

Field measurements of water depth were acquired from a reach of the upper Sacramento River in northern California, September 12-14, 2017, to support research on salmon habitat and geomorphic change along the Sacramento River and, more broadly, remote sensing of rivers. The depth measurements included in this data release were obtained by wading the shallow channel margins with RTK GPS receivers and measuring water surface elevations along the water's edge and bed elevations within the channel; depths were calculated by subtracting bed elevations from the nearest water surface elevation. For the deeper areas representing most of the channel, depths were recorded along a series of cross-sections by a SonTek RiverSurveyor S5 acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and an Ohmex SonarMite echo sounder, both deployed from a jet boat. The spatial location of each measurement was obtained via GPS receivers: Trimble R8 and R10 RTK rovers for the wading and echo sounder measurements and a differential GPS included as part of the RiverSurveyor S5 ADCP instrument package. The map projection and datum for these data are UTM Zone 10 N and NAD83, respectively. The wading-, echo sounder-, and ADCP-based depth measurements were cross-calibrated to one another and are combined for the purposes of this data release, which consists of a comma-delimited (*.csv) text file with three columns: East_m, North_m, and Depth_m; the units of the spatial coordinates and the depths are meters. This ground-based data set played a critical role in developing improved methods for mapping river bathymetry from remotely sensed data.

Field measurements of water depth were acquired from a reach of the upper Sacramento River in northern California, September 12-14, 2017, to support research on salmon habitat and geomorphic change along the Sacramento River and, more broadly, remote sensing of rivers. The depth measurements included in this data release were obtained by wading the shallow channel margins with RTK GPS receivers and measuring water surface elevations along the water's edge and bed elevations within the channel; depths were calculated by subtracting bed elevations from the nearest water surface elevation. For the deeper areas representing most of the channel, depths were recorded along a series of cross-sections by a SonTek RiverSurveyor S5 acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and an Ohmex SonarMite echo sounder, both deployed from a jet boat. The spatial location of each measurement was obtained via GPS receivers: Trimble R8 and R10 RTK rovers for the wading and echo sounder measurements and a differential GPS included as part of the RiverSurveyor S5 ADCP instrument package. The map projection and datum for these data are UTM Zone 10 N and NAD83, respectively. The wading-, echo sounder-, and ADCP-based depth measurements were cross-calibrated to one another and are combined for the purposes of this data release, which consists of a comma-delimited (*.csv) text file with three columns: East_m, North_m, and Depth_m; the units of the spatial coordinates and the depths are meters. This ground-based data set played a critical role in developing improved methods for mapping river bathymetry from remotely sensed data.

Water depth and depth-averaged water velocity in the lower San Joaquin River, California, collected generally between Laird Park and the USGS streamgage near Vernalis. These data were collected using a SonTek M9 Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) July 19-21, 2011.

Field measurements of water depth were acquired from a reach of the American River at Sailor Bar, near Fair Oaks, California, October 19-21, 2020, to support research on remote sensing of water depth from satellite images. The depth measurements included in this data release were obtained via two different methods: 1) By wading the shallow channel margins with RTK GPS receivers and measuring water surface elevations along the water's edge and bed elevations within the channel; depths were calculated by subtracting bed elevations from the nearest water surface elevation. 2) For the deeper areas representing most of the channel, depths were recorded along a series of cross-sections by a SonTek RiverSurveyor S5 acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and a SonarMite single beam echo sounder deployed from a boat. The spatial location of each measurement was obtained via Trimble R10 RTK GPS receivers. The map projection and datum for these data are UTM Zone 10 N and WGS84, respectively. The ADCP- and echo sounder-based depth measurements were cross-calibrated to one another using collocated observations from the two instruments and then combined with the wading measurements for the purposes of this data release, which consists of a comma-delimited (*.csv) text file with three columns: Easting_m, Northing_m, and Depth_m; the units of the spatial coordinates and the depths are meters. This ground-based depth data set was used to calibrate (i.e., train) models for inferring water depths from passive optical image data and to assess the accuracy of image-derived depth estimates.

Water depth in the lower San Joaquin River, California, collected near Liard Park, the Old Fisherman's Club, Sturgeon Bend, the USGS streamgage near Vernalis. These data were collected using an Odem multibeam July 26-28, 2011. The data were post-processed to reduce depth data to one point per two-meter grid.