For me...
I often have to wade through creeks that are *well* over my ankle/calf, and knee! Mid-thigh is not unusual. No gaiter is going to keep water out of my shoes. Waders might, but.. i'm not gonna wear them.
So... If I'm worried about my feet getting cold and general "spring" conditions, I've probably brought my waterproof mids... which means I need to change into my crocs for water crossings. I prefer crocs because they protect my feet well and grip well and do not soak up any water and are dry almost immediately. And they make excellent camp shoes. Basilbop uses a lighter mesh-topped shoe with vibrate sole, too flexible for my poor feet. Chick-on has carried a full set of "summer" hiking shoes to change into! Too heavy for my taste.
I used to use the crocs with bare feet, but I'm getting old and don't want to be distracted fighting the stomach-knotting cold as I try to negotiate difficult water (and this year has already had difficult and promises more!). So I took a page from Chick-on and got 0.5mm neoprene socks and use those with the crocs! YAY! Extra benefit: the little debris that used to hurt me (I'm a tender foot, even though I'm used to many back to back ~20 mile days) don't hurt me because the neoprene socks offer a buffer.
When going is generally warmer with better chances to dry the shoes and socks out while hiking... I use well-ventilated "summer" mids and just keep walking right through the creeks without changing footwear. I foresee this being a common occurrence this year, given conditions, whereas the past couple of years.. I rarely had to get wet feet either way! (I tend to soak them whenever I can, so I'm still getting my feet wet..)
I do NOT recommend going barefoot through creek crossings. One wrong bit of wood or sharp rock can skewer you, or you could stub your toe hard against the rocks. Mind you, we do a lot of creek crossings where you try to find a good spot to wedge your foot in for stability. At least I do. A lot more of me is being pushed around in the water than the taller guys...
Also, I have flooded my waterproof shoes and continued to walk in them for miles.. and I can do it, but only for so long. Probably not a good idea on something like Waterwheel Falls in a day. At least for me. I use BodyGlide on my feet before hiking, btw, and reapply after drying my feet before putting socks back on, if I should change shoes.
Good luck!