This USGS Data Release represents geospatial and tabular data for a study investigating linkages between local terrain and wetland hydroperiod and was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). This dataset contains wetland water level data from Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge (SMNWR). Data include records of water level and water temperature measurements from select wetlands beginning in July 2010 and ending in 2019. Not all wetlands span this entire period as different phases of studies resulted in different time periods of data collection. Instrumentation included a staff gage and a non-vented continuous logging pressure transducer that logged data at 1-hour intervals. The dataset consists of 4 separate items: 1. water level monitoring site Locations (tabular data) 2. wetland perimeters (GIS vector data) 3. water level and water temperature data for 59 select wetlands (tabular data) 4. revision history text file that describes the changes from the original release to version 2.0. In Version 2.0 of this data release, data collected since the initial publication (2016) are being added to the data release to provide a longer record. Additionally, wetland perimeters (polygons) that were not available during the first release are added to version 2.0.

This USGS Data Release represents geospatial and tabular data for a study investigating linkages between local terrain and wetland hydroperiod. The data release was produced in compliance with the new 'open data' requirements as way to make the scientific products associated with USGS research efforts and publications available to the public. The dataset consists of 3 separate items: 1. water level monitoring site Locations (tabular data) 2. surveyed wetland perimeters (GIS vector data) 3. water level and water temperature data for 58 select wetlands (tabular data)

This dataset contains records of water level and water temperature measurements from select wetlands at Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge. These data were collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). Beginning in July 2010, hydrologic monitoring equipment was installed in 24 wetlands. Instrumentation included a staff gage and a non-vented continuous logging pressure transducer (Onset Comp U20) that logged data at 1-hour intervals. An additional 35 sites were instrumented in January 2014. Data for individual wetlands covers different time periods based on different phases of studies and sensor battery failures. In shallow, ephemeral wetlands these instruments were installed in the deepest point in the basin. In permanent wetlands, instruments were positioned as deeply as possible in proximity to vegetative indicators of permanent water (e.g. Nuphar, Cephalanthus). Additionally, an Onset Comp U20 sensor was deployed sub-aerially to correct water levels for atmospheric pressure. Sites were visited approximately quarterly to read staff gages and download data from transducers. Staff gages were read to the nearest hundredth of a foot. Data were adjusted based on the periodic staff gage readings and barometric pressure readings using features in the software HOBOware (Onset Corporation). The mention of firm, product, or trade names is done so for informative purposes only and does not constitute and recommendation or endorsement by the federal government.

This dataset contains the approximate location of 59 wetlands that were monitored as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). Note, these were preliminary points used for locating the wetlands in the field and they may not fall directly within a wetlands boundary. The later surveying of pond boundaries provides more accurate locations. These point locations were collected with a Garmin GPSmap62 unit. The mention of firm, product, or trade names is done so for informative purposes only and does not constitute and recommendation or endorsement by the federal government.

This dataset contains boundary polygons from 59 wetlands, that were monitored as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) from Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge (SMNWR). These sites covered a range of sizes, shapes, topographic and vegetative characteristics that were deemed to be representative of wetlands within the study area. Ground-based surveys of wetland perimeters were made using a Trimble R8 Real Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK-GPS). Surveys generally followed the lowest extent of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), which is a reliable indicator of the upper limits (elevation) of sustained inundation. In instances where palmetto was absent, margins were identified based on the lower limits of gallberry (Ilex sp.) and/or the upper extent of titi (Cyrilla/Cliftonia). These species occupied similar hydrologic and elevation zones as saw palmetto and, therefore, considered to also be reliable indicators of a wetland’s edge. GPS points were collected along this vegetative margin to represent the size and general shape of each wetland. In cases where dense vegetation prevented surveying the complete margin, we used elevation contours to connect distant points when digitizing perimeters. For a subset of wetlands that were not surveyed in the field on screen digitizing was used to construct the boundaries. When using this latter approach multiple layers were used to help identify the boundary including the national wetlands inventory, aerial imagery, and a lidar derived digital elevation model. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge (BSNWR) is an urban refuge in southeastern Louisiana that has been altered extensively due to human impacts. As a result, the hydrology of the impounded (interior) marshes within the BSNWR has been disrupted due to obstructions such as spoil banks, levees, and water control structures that affect the gradient and fluctuation of water surface elevation (water level) impeding water exchange between open channels, lakes, and the adjacent marsh. Changes in hydroperiod have led to marsh loss and damage resulting in altered flooding and salinity regimes. Marsh mitigation is a restoration technique designed to replace damaged marsh with newly created restored marsh that has been implemented to benefit such habitats. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) completed a mitigation project within the Turtle Bayou area of the BSNWR with a target of creating 126 acres of intermediate marsh with an elevation of 0.15 meters (NAVD88). This mitigation has the potential to enhance the area by providing beneficial marsh habitat to the refuge, but monitoring is essential to evaluate success. The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the USACE, began monitoring in February 2024 at four sites across a hydrological gradient within the mitigation area and at a real-time water level gage outside the mitigation area. Data sondes were used to collect continuous water level and specific conductance data.

,

Data represent physical (water quality) and biological (fish, macroinvertebrate, and vegetation community) collections as indicators for Pool 1A and the Maankiki Marsh North and South units at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw, MI, USA. The Maankiki North and South units were recently reconnected to the Shiawassee River in 2018, whereas Pool 1A represents a historically reconnected wetland. All data were collected in 2020.

,