Hydrogels have been attractive for use as a medium in porous flow studies, but have always been limited in this role because of their poor mechanical properties and density. This project analyzes and tests two recently developed hydrogels, polymethacrylamide-co-methacrylic acid (PMM), and a heat-treated long chain annealed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel for improved stiffness to assure consistent shape and density to avoid gel movement due to buoyancy. In addition, to achieve accurate particle image velocimetry it is required to match the refractive index of both the solid and liquid phases in the porous flow. Hydrogels offer multiple advantages in porous flow experiments, including better approximation of flow geometries for river flows, the ability to create a variety of solid matrix geometries, and the use of inexpensive and safe working fluids. The latter condition can be obtained using additives to water to adjust the refractive index as needed. Previous hydrogel-based PIV experiments have been successful but are limited in flow rates and flow geometry mostly due to the hydrogel stiffness and density. In this study PMM and PVA hydrogels were chosen for their strength and transparency while additives were used to modify the mechanical properties. Refractive index matching and compression were evaluated for specifically designed hydrogels using PMM and PVA. Results show mechanical property improvements while maintaining proper refractive index matching and these results are related to expected conditions for a range of high Reynolds number flows.