The data was produced as part of a study to determine human impacts on river planform change within the context of short- and long-term river channel dynamics. To this end, the Himalayan Sutlej-Beas River system was used as a case study to (i) systematically assess changes in river planform characteristics over centennial, annual, seasonal, and episodic timescales; (ii) connect the observed patterns of planform change to human-environment drivers and interactions; and (iii) conceptualise these geomorphic changes in terms of timescale-dependant evolutionary trajectories. The dataset was derived from historic maps (1847-1850) and remote sensing data (Landsat over a 30-year period). It comprises post monsoon season wet river area annually 1989-2018, post monsoon season active gravel bars annually 1989-2018, active channel area (maximum extent between 1989-2018), active channel width annually 1989-2018, active channel width assessed from historic map (1847–1850), and the Anabranching index, annually 1989-2018. The work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (Grant NE/S01232X/1). Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/f7aada06-7352-44c0-988e-2f4b31690189
