# NOAA API: Get water level

> Gets the latest NOAA coastal water level, the matching tide prediction, the direction of change, and water temperature for the station nearest a US coastal place (within 50 miles).

Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NOAA.

- Page: https://fous.com/methods/tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get-water-level
- Method: `tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_water_level`, version 1
- Website: tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov
- Returns: station, distance, observation time, observed and predicted water level, difference, direction, water temperature
- Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing)
- Sign-in: none needed
- Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free
- Verified: Nov 2, 2026

## Inputs

| Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `units` | string | no | `"metric"` | Water-level units, for example imperial (feet) or metric (meters). One of "imperial", "metric". Default "imperial". |
| `location` | string | yes | `"San Francisco, CA"` | US coastal town, beach, or harbor, for example Charleston, SC. |

## Output

From a run on Oct 23, 2026. Its input:

```json
{
  "units": "metric",
  "location": "San Francisco, CA"
}
```

Its output:

```json
{
  "difference": 0.359,
  "level_unit": "meters",
  "station_id": "9414290",
  "station_name": "San Francisco",
  "station_page": "https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationhome.html?id=9414290",
  "distance_miles": 3.4,
  "water_direction": "steady",
  "observation_time": "2026-10-23T02:48:00-07:00",
  "observed_water_level": 0.695,
  "predicted_water_level": 0.336,
  "water_temperature_celsius": null,
  "water_temperature_fahrenheit": null
}
```

## Run it

From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output:

```bash
curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"method":"tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_water_level","input":{"units":"metric","location":"San Francisco, CA"}}'
```

From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`.

## Ask your agent

- What is the current water level at the coast near Galveston, TX right now compared with the tide prediction?
- Is the tide rising or falling at Newport Beach harbor, and what's the water temperature there?
- I need the latest observed sea level in meters for the Santa Barbara waterfront, plus the predicted level for the same time.
- Check the nearest NOAA tide station to Ocean City, Maryland and tell me the water level difference and direction of change.
- Give me the observed water level in feet and water temperature for the station closest to Savannah, GA's coast.

## Input schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "location"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "units": {
      "enum": [
        "imperial",
        "metric"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "imperial",
      "description": "Water-level units, for example imperial (feet) or metric (meters)."
    },
    "location": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "US coastal town, beach, or harbor, for example Charleston, SC."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}
```

## Output schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "station_name",
    "distance_miles",
    "observation_time",
    "observed_water_level",
    "predicted_water_level",
    "difference",
    "level_unit",
    "water_direction",
    "water_temperature_fahrenheit",
    "water_temperature_celsius",
    "station_page",
    "station_id"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "difference": {
      "type": "number",
      "description": "Observed minus predicted water level, in level_unit."
    },
    "level_unit": {
      "enum": [
        "feet",
        "meters"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Unit for water-level values."
    },
    "station_id": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "NOAA station identifier.",
      "x-fous-developer": true
    },
    "station_name": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Name of the NOAA water level station."
    },
    "station_page": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "NOAA station page link."
    },
    "distance_miles": {
      "type": "number",
      "description": "Distance from the searched place to the station in miles."
    },
    "water_direction": {
      "enum": [
        "rising",
        "falling",
        "steady"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Change in recent observations."
    },
    "observation_time": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Observation time at the station in local ISO 8601 with UTC offset."
    },
    "observed_water_level": {
      "type": "number",
      "description": "Observed height above mean lower low water, in level_unit."
    },
    "predicted_water_level": {
      "type": "number",
      "description": "Predicted height at observation time above mean lower low water, in level_unit."
    },
    "water_temperature_celsius": {
      "type": [
        "number",
        "null"
      ],
      "description": "Most recent water temperature in degrees Celsius, or null if unavailable."
    },
    "water_temperature_fahrenheit": {
      "type": [
        "number",
        "null"
      ],
      "description": "Most recent water temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, or null if unavailable."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}
```

## See more

- [NOAA API: Get tide times](https://fous.com/methods/tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get-tide-times.md): Finds the nearest NOAA tide prediction station to a US coastal place (within 30 miles) and returns its high and low tide times in local time with predicted heights above MLLW.
- [NOAA API: Get aurora forecast](https://fous.com/methods/swpc.noaa.gov/get-aurora-forecast.md): Gets the 30-minute chance of aurora overhead near a place, current geomagnetic activity, and the three-day Kp outlook. Visibility also depends on darkness and local conditions; tonight uses approximate local solar hours 18:00-06:00.
- [NOAA API: List active storms](https://fous.com/methods/nhc.noaa.gov/list-active-storms.md): Lists active tropical cyclones in the selected basin, strongest first, with current conditions, advisory and forecast cone.
- [NOAA API: List space weather alerts](https://fous.com/methods/swpc.noaa.gov/list-space-weather-alerts.md): Lists NOAA space weather alerts, warnings, watches and summaries issued in the last 1 to 7 days, newest first, with validity times and NOAA scale levels when the message gives them.
- [USGS API: Get river level](https://fous.com/methods/waterdata.usgs.gov/get-river-level.md): Gets the latest water height, flow, 24-hour trend and flood-stage status at the active USGS river gauge best matching a river or town and state. Flood stage is null when not published; gauges without recent stage, flow or 24-hour history are not returned.
- [NWS API: Get current conditions](https://fous.com/methods/weather.gov/get-current-conditions.md): Gets the latest observed weather from a nearby National Weather Service station for a US city, address, or ZIP code. Measurements the station does not report are null.
- [AccuWeather API: Get current weather](https://fous.com/methods/accuweather.com/get-current-weather.md): Gets current conditions and RealFeel for a city or postal code on AccuWeather. The UV level follows standard UV-index ranges. Air quality is null unless it is shown with the current conditions.
- [The Weather Channel API: Get current weather](https://fous.com/methods/weather.com/get-current-weather.md): Gets current conditions and today's high and low from The Weather Channel for a city, postcode, ZIP code or street address worldwide. Street addresses are geocoded exactly first; some observations omit gusts or other measurements.
- [All NOAA methods](https://fous.com/methods/noaa.gov.md)