Field data for evaluation of the LISST-SL2, an in-stream particle-size analyzer, at selected rivers in Washington and Virginia, 2018-20

Measurements of suspended-sediment concentration and particle-size distribution were made in selected rivers located in Washington and Virginia with an in-stream, particle-size analyzer that uses laser-diffraction methods to measure the concentration and size of suspended particles. Measurements were made in 11 rivers from 2018 to 2019 using the LIST-SL2, a second-generation streamlined sensor that is part of the Laser In Situ Scattering and Transmissometry (LISST) series of instruments manufactured by Sequoia Science Inc. ( Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government, the authors, or their affiliations). Physical samples of sediment were collected concurrently with sediment samplers approved by the Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project. Physical samples collected in Washington were analyzed for suspended sediment concentration and particles size at the USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory SedLab. Physical samples collected in Virginia were analyzed at Virginia Tech using evaporation methods (Guy,1969) and a CILAS 1190 particle size analyzer. ADCP measurements of water velocity were made using a TRDI-RiverRay ADCP at sites in Washington, and a Sontek-M9 ADCP at sites in Virginia. This data release contains four tables (*.csv files) that summarize all data collected for each sampling event. Table 1 lists the individual deployments and summarizes the data collected by the LISST-SL2, physical sampler and ADCP for each deployment. Table 2 lists the concentration of particle sizes measured by the LISST-SL2 for each deployment listed in table 1; Table 3 is a subset of sites and particle size data collected by the LISST-SL2, presented as cumulative percent finer and relative depth; Table 4 is particle size data from physical samples and presented as cumulative percent finer and relative depth. Raw data files for the LISST-SL2 (*.RBS and *.ASC files), TRDI-RiverRay ADCP (*.mmt and *.PD0 files), and Sontek-M9 ADCP (*.rivr files) that were used to generate these tables are provided in this data release.