That’s pretty deep and more than just a puddle- so Kudos to you for taking it on- although as Jeff Barber points out- watch out for water in rims. My advice is three-fold- Your Line, your gear, and your speed.
First- examine the bed underwater prior to taking it on next time. Look for a line, put the image of where that line is to the top of the water in your mind, and ride that line. Riding through water is no different than riding dry- you still have to pick a good line, it’s just more difficult to because it is more difficult to see the bottom due to the water. But look for the smoothest line under the water you can find and try to ride that line.
Second is your gear. What gear are you in when going into the water? I always go for a lower gear BEFORE I hit the water than I feel like I should use for two reasons- first the water always slows me down more than expected due to the friction of the water and usually hitting something unforeseen under the water and second, getting out up a slope with wet wheels is always harder than it looks.
Third- Speed. Speed is your friend. You have to attack water. You can’t be passive. With that said, one of the risks of riding through water is your front wheel getting stuck in something unseen and you going a** over handlebars. So this has to be done with caution. Hence, my first piece of advice, scope out your line ahead of time.
Once you know you have a good line, gear down low BEFORE hitting the water and attack that line through the water with speed and ferocity. Water is really no different than any other obstacle like a drop or jump or whatever- it’s scary and your natural inclination is to slow down, but this is exactly what you need to avoid. Don’t be out of control, but be confident in your line choice through it and let yourself go. And if you start to slow down pedal like h*ll!! Have fun.
BTW- going fast also has the Moses parting the seas effect of helping keep water out of your hubs.