Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds Phase 1 (1962-1985) data: 2nd edition

The Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds are a long-term USDA Forest Service research site located near Fort Bragg, California in the Jackson Demonstration State Forest in a coast redwood and Douglas-fir dominated conifer forest. The site includes two experimental watersheds: the North Fork (479 hectares) and the South Fork (417 hectares). Measurements of precipitation, streamflow, and sediment transport began at Caspar Creek in 1962. Two timber harvesting experiments have been completed. The first experimental harvest (Phase 1) was a selective cut conducted in the South Fork watershed using tractor yarding in the early 1970s, prior to the implementation of the modern California Forest Practice Rules. Phase 1 of the project includes data from 1962 to 1985. Gaging stations were added in 12 subwatersheds of the North Fork by 1985 in preparation for the second experimental harvest (Phase 2). From 1985 to 1992, roughly half of the North Fork watershed was logged, mainly using clearcutting and cable yarding, and following the newly-enacted Forest Practice Rules. Gaging stations were added in 10 subwatersheds of the South Fork in 2000 in preparation for a third harvesting experiment (Phase 3). Logging for the third harvest occurred in 2017-2019 in the South Fork watershed. This data publication contains all Phase 1 data: 1) volumetric discharge data from the North Fork and South Fork weirs from 03 November 1962 to 31 July 1985, 2) annual pond deposition volumes for the weir collection ponds directly upstream of the North Fork and South Fork weirs from 1962-1985 (deposited material includes sediment and organic debris, and 3) suspended sediment concentrations collected at the North Fork and South Fork weirs 1962-1985. Also included are a geodatabase and shapefiles containing study locations, harvest units, and watershed boundaries for Phase 1.
The Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds were established to determine the effects of timber harvesting on streamflow and sediment delivery in northern coastal California watersheds.
Additional metadata documents containing details specific to each data set are also provided in this data package. The first edition of the Phase 1 data was published on 03/17/2020 (https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2020-0017). This newer edition (2nd edition) of the Caspar Creek data publication, made available on 01/08/2021, includes additional data, corrections, and geospatial files. Data corrections are described in the “Supplemental Information” section of the relevant individual metadata files. Phase 3 (2017- ) data are being prepared for a future data publication. Minor additions and corrections were made to the discharge metadata on 03/23/2021. Minor additions were also made to this metadata document on 03/23/2021 and additionally on 04/11/2022. The Caspar Creek Phase 2 data (1985-2017) are also available (Richardson et al. 2021, https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2020-0018-2).