Wetlands play a critical role in carbon cycling, but the dynamics of carbon storage and release in engineered wetlands that experience wet and dry phases remain poorly understood. I examined carbon biogeochemical dynamics in stream-wetland complexes created through a novel floodplain reconnection method called ‘Stage 0’ or ‘dynamic alluvial valley restoration’ in western Pennsylvania. Three Stage 0 restored and three traditionally restored sites were compared to explore how wet-dry cycles influence soil moisture and soil carbon. At each of the six sites, I collected soil cores along two cross-sectional transects representing the hydrological gradient at the site and quantified terrestrial leaf litter inputs from traps set out in fall 2024. Leaf litter was sorted, identified, and weighed to determine the dominant contributors to leaf litter entering the systems. Percent soil moisture was measured gravimetrically to determine patterns of water storage in the channel and riparian zone compared to drier upland sites. A laboratory experiment was conducted with soil samples from different moisture zones to quantify the amount of carbon, phosphorus,and nitrogen exported during a simulated flood pulse. Soils were prepped by homogenizing dried soils and sieving 150 g of sample through 6 sizes of sieves. Soil particle size distribution was recorded for each soil. HOBO data loggers in place at the sites were used to collect continuous hydrological measurements and models of the hydrologic returns of the sites were generated to improve the resolution of the model for the headwater sites sampled. STIC sensors were deployed during the initial sampling dates in fall 2024. Comparing data acquired from the deployment of STIC sensors in summer and fall 2025 to the hydrological data for the sites in the same year providesmore insight into the hydrological connectivity of Stage 0 sites compared to traditionally restored sites. By expanding soil characteristics and hydrology, I hope to better identify the patterns of soil moisture and soil nutrient leachates. This work provides valuable information on how the hydrology of a reconnected floodplain system affects carbon cycling, and may assist in managing the ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, of future wetland restoration efforts.