In 2022, stream reaches at Congaree National Park (CONG) were surveyed following the methods outlined in Monitoring Wadeable Stream Habitat Conditions in Southeast Coast Network Parks (McDonald et al. 2018). On each stream reach, data were collected to provide an understanding of reach- and transect-scale geomorphology and benthic habitat characteristics. In 2021, stream reaches at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CHAT) were surveyed following the same methods (McDonald et al. 2018). In 2019, stream reaches at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (HOBE), Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield (KEMO), and Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (OCMU) were surveyed following the same methods (McDonald et al. 2018). In 2018, stream reaches at Congaree National Park (CONG) were surveyed following the same methods (McDonald et al. 2018). In 2017, stream reaches at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CHAT), Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield (KEMO), and Ocmulgee National Monument (OCMU) were surveyed following the same methods (McDonald et al. 2018). McDonald JM and Others. 2018. Monitoring wadeable stream habitat conditions in Southeast Coast Network parks: Protocol narrative. Natural Resource Report. NPS/SECN/NRR—2018/1715. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2254874

This package contains data collected by the Southeast Coast Network (SECN), a part of the Inventory and Monitoring Division (IMD) of the National Park Service (NPS). Data was collected under the Wadeable Stream Habitat Monitoring Protocol (McDonald et al. 2018) during the year 2023. Wadeable stream habitat monitoring surveys were conducted on two stream reaches at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO), one stream reach at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (HOBE), and one stream reach at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (OCMU). The data contained within describe geomorphic and habitat conditions observed within the monitored stream reaches at the time of the surveys. The geomorphic dimensions (cross-sectional morphology, channel widths, bank heights, bank angles, bank vegetative cover, and reach slope and sinuosity) of the selected stream reaches are measured to understand the natural range of variability of similar sized streams within and between the park units. Understanding the variability in channel morphology between study reaches will determine which reaches are being negatively impacted by upstream land use and land cover and provide an understanding of long-term trajectories of change along each stream reach. The habitat data provide an understanding of the habitats that are available for colonization by benthic invertebrates within each stream reach. Habitat measures selected for this protocol focus on inventorying large woody debris and bed sediment within each reach. These components of habitat have been shown to be highly influential in the distribution and character of biota within a stream. These data will also facilitate future complementary studies that can focus on the other physical factors (e.g., current, temperature, and oxygen) that influence biotic assemblages.

This package contains data collected by the Southeast Coast Network (SECN), a part of the Inventory and Monitoring Division (IMD) of the National Park Service (NPS). Data was collected under the Wadeable Stream Habitat Monitoring Protocol (McDonald et al. 2018) during the year 2023. Wadeable stream habitat monitoring surveys were conducted on two stream reaches at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (KEMO), one stream reach at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (HOBE), and one stream reach at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (OCMU). The data contained within describe geomorphic and habitat conditions observed within the monitored stream reaches at the time of the surveys. The geomorphic dimensions (cross-sectional morphology, channel widths, bank heights, bank angles, bank vegetative cover, and reach slope and sinuosity) of the selected stream reaches are measured to understand the natural range of variability of similar sized streams within and between the park units. Understanding the variability in channel morphology between study reaches will determine which reaches are being negatively impacted by upstream land use and land cover and provide an understanding of long-term trajectories of change along each stream reach. The habitat data provide an understanding of the habitats that are available for colonization by benthic invertebrates within each stream reach. Habitat measures selected for this protocol focus on inventorying large woody debris and bed sediment within each reach. These components of habitat have been shown to be highly influential in the distribution and character of biota within a stream. These data will also facilitate future complementary studies that can focus on the other physical factors (e.g., current, temperature, and oxygen) that influence biotic assemblages.

Wadeable stream habitat data from four long-term monitoring programs (AIM, AREMP, NRSA, PIBO MP) were obtained, pre-processed, transformed, and combined using R code following the Stream Habitat Metrics Integration (SHMI) Data Exchange Standard (Scully et al., 2023b). The dataset includes 26 stream habitat metrics collected between 2000 and 2022 across the United States at ~12,000 locations from ~19,000 data collection events for a total of ~200,000 measurements. Measurements include reach characteristics (sampled reach length, channel gradient, sinuosity), channel dimensions (bankfull width and height, average bankfull width to depth ratio, mean thalweg depth, average wetted width), channel substrate particle sizes (percent fines, percent bedrock, fine sediment percentiles), pools (residual pool depth, pool tail fines), bank characterizations (angle), and water quality/chemistry (specific conductance, pH, specific conductance, turbidity, total nitrogen, total phosphorous). The dataset consists of 4 csv files: 'RecordLevel.csv', 'Location.csv', 'Event.csv', and 'MeasurementOrFact.csv'. The 4 csv data tables may be linked in a database structure using the 'entity relationship diagram.jpg' or by linking the following: Join RecordLevel primary key 'datasetID' to Location foreign key 'datasetID'. Join Location primary key 'locationID to Event foreign key 'locationID'. Join Event primary key 'eventID' to MeasurementOrFact foreign key 'eventID'. An analysis-ready file ('AnalysisStreamHabitatMonitoringMetricDataset.csv') is also published for user convenience.

Wadeable stream habitat data from four long-term monitoring programs (AIM, AREMP, NRSA, PIBO MP) were obtained, pre-processed, transformed, and combined using R code following the Stream Habitat Metrics Integration (SHMI) Data Exchange Standard (Scully et al., 2023b). The dataset includes 26 stream habitat metrics collected between 2000 and 2022 across the United States at ~12,000 locations from ~19,000 data collection events for a total of ~200,000 measurements. Measurements include reach characteristics (sampled reach length, channel gradient, sinuosity), channel dimensions (bankfull width and height, average bankfull width to depth ratio, mean thalweg depth, average wetted width), channel substrate particle sizes (percent fines, percent bedrock, fine sediment percentiles), pools (residual pool depth, pool tail fines), bank characterizations (angle), and water quality/chemistry (specific conductance, pH, specific conductance, turbidity, total nitrogen, total phosphorous). The dataset consists of 4 csv files: 'RecordLevel.csv', 'Location.csv', 'Event.csv', and 'MeasurementOrFact.csv'. The 4 csv data tables may be linked in a database structure using the 'entity relationship diagram.jpg' or by linking the following: Join RecordLevel primary key 'datasetID' to Location foreign key 'datasetID'. Join Location primary key 'locationID to Event foreign key 'locationID'. Join Event primary key 'eventID' to MeasurementOrFact foreign key 'eventID'. An analysis-ready file ('AnalysisStreamHabitatMonitoringMetricDataset.csv') is also published for user convenience.

Field monitoring data from 2022 work at Theodore Roosevelt NP. Monitoring along Little Missouri River is conducted by the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network, beginning in 2022.

The 4 resource surveys (coastal, rivers and streams, lakes and reservoirs, and wetlands) each have datasets covering the biological, chemical, physical habitat, hydrologic and watershed data. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Kaufmann, P., R.M. Hughes, S. Paulsen, D. Peck, C. Seeliger, T. Kincaid, and R. Mitchell. Physical Habitat in the Conterminous U.S. Streams and Rivers, Part 2: A Quantitative Assessment of Habitat Condition.. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 141: 109047, (2022).

The 4 resource surveys (coastal, rivers and streams, lakes and reservoirs, and wetlands) each have datasets covering the biological, chemical, physical habitat, hydrologic and watershed data. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Kaufmann, P., R.M. Hughes, S. Paulsen, D. Peck, C. Seeliger, T. Kincaid, and R. Mitchell. Physical Habitat in the Conterminous U.S. Streams and Rivers, Part 2: A Quantitative Assessment of Habitat Condition.. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, USA, 141: 109047, (2022).

Because of the scarcity of water on the Colorado Plateau and their disproportionately high use by flora and fauna, riparian areas have been identified as an ecosystem of concern for Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) parks. Riparian ecosystems are potentially sensitive indicators of landscape-level change because they are linked to both aquatic and upland systems, perform important ecological functions, and are biologically diverse. Riparian systems face a number of anthropogenic threats, including stream-flow damming or diversion, channel-stabilization structures, invasive exotic species, livestock grazing, timber harvesting, agricultural clearing, groundwater pumping, and trail creation. These disturbances can alter watershed conditions and directly or indirectly influence downstream riparian ecosystems. In the Northern Colorado Plateau Network, riparian monitoring of wadeable streams occurs in the streams of four parks: Courthouse Wash in Arches National Park, Armstrong Canyon in Natural Bridges National Monument, the Fremont River in Capitol Reef National Park, and the East Fork Virgin River in Zion National Park. This data package pertains to the vital sign riparian vegetation structure and composition. The goal for monitoring this vital sign is to determine long-term trends in vegetation dynamics in the context of changes in other ecological drivers, stressors, and processes. Above-ground structures of riparian plants modify the physical environment by shading and depositing litter, strongly affecting spatial and temporal patterns of soil-resource availability to other organisms. The data herein includes vegetation and surface cover, tree seedling counts, diameter and counts of overstory trees, canopy closure, and frequency of exotic species.

Because of the scarcity of water on the Colorado Plateau and their disproportionately high use by flora and fauna, riparian areas have been identified as an ecosystem of concern for Northern Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN) parks. Riparian ecosystems are potentially sensitive indicators of landscape-level change because they are linked to both aquatic and upland systems, perform important ecological functions, and are biologically diverse. Riparian systems face a number of anthropogenic threats, including stream-flow damming or diversion, channel-stabilization structures, invasive exotic species, livestock grazing, timber harvesting, agricultural clearing, groundwater pumping, and trail creation. These disturbances can alter watershed conditions and directly or indirectly influence downstream riparian ecosystems. In the Northern Colorado Plateau Network, riparian monitoring of wadeable streams occurs in the streams of four parks: Courthouse Wash in Arches National Park, Armstrong Canyon in Natural Bridges National Monument, the Fremont River in Capitol Reef National Park, and the East Fork Virgin River in Zion National Park. This data package pertains to the vital sign riparian vegetation structure and composition. The goal for monitoring this vital sign is to determine long-term trends in vegetation dynamics in the context of changes in other ecological drivers, stressors, and processes. Above-ground structures of riparian plants modify the physical environment by shading and depositing litter, strongly affecting spatial and temporal patterns of soil-resource availability to other organisms. The data herein includes vegetation and surface cover, tree seedling counts, diameter and counts of overstory trees, canopy closure, and frequency of exotic species.