# USGS Water Data API

> USGS Water Data returns river levels, flow, trends, and flood-stage status as a workflow and API.

USGS Water Data (USGS) returns gauge height, flow, 24-hour trends, and flood-stage status for a river or town and state. Get river level needs a river and/or town with state.

- Page: https://fous.com/tools/usgs-water-data
- Handle: `@usgs-water-data`
- Category: [Science](https://fous.com/tools/category/science)
- Source website: https://waterdata.usgs.gov
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026

## Methods

### Get river level

Operation `get_river_level`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.

Get 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.

**Input**

| Field | Type | Required | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `location` | string | yes | `"Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO"` | River and/or town with state, for example Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO. |

**Input schema**

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "location"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "location": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "River and/or town with state, for example Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO.",
      "examples": [
        "Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO",
        "River Des Peres at St. Louis, MO"
      ]
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "examples": [
    {
      "location": "Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO"
    },
    {
      "location": "River Des Peres at St. Louis, MO"
    }
  ]
}
```

**Output**

| Field | Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `town` | string | `"St. Louis"` | Town near the gauge. |
| `state` | string | `"Missouri"` | State name. |
| `latitude` | number or null | `38.629` | Gauge latitude. |
| `longitude` | number or null | `-90.1797777777778` | Gauge longitude. |
| `gauge_name` | string | `"Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO"` | Official gauge name. |
| `observed_at` | string | `"2026-09-29T00:00:00-05:00"` | Gauge-height observation time in the local time zone, with offset. |
| `trend_24_hours` | string | `"falling"` | Water-height trend over the past 24 hours. |
| `gauge_page_link` | string | `"https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/07010000/"` | Page showing the gauge. |
| `flood_stage_feet` | number or null | `30` | Flood stage in feet, when published. |
| `usgs_site_number` | string | `"07010000"` | USGS monitoring site number. |
| `above_flood_stage` | boolean or null | `false` | Whether the water height reaches or exceeds flood stage, when known. |
| `water_height_feet` | number | `15.24` | Most recent gauge height in feet. |
| `flow_cubic_feet_per_second` | number | `262000` | Most recent discharge in cubic feet per second. |

**Example input**

```json
{
  "location": "Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO"
}
```

**Example output**

```json
{
  "town": "St. Louis",
  "state": "Missouri",
  "latitude": 38.629,
  "longitude": -90.1797777777778,
  "gauge_name": "Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-29T00:00:00-05:00",
  "trend_24_hours": "falling",
  "gauge_page_link": "https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/07010000/",
  "flood_stage_feet": 30,
  "usgs_site_number": "07010000",
  "above_flood_stage": false,
  "water_height_feet": 15.24,
  "flow_cubic_feet_per_second": 262000
}
```

## Quick start

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data.

```bash
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
  "api": "@usgs-water-data",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_river_level",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "location": "Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}'
```

```python
# Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed.
import json
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"

body = json.loads("{\n  \"api\": \"@usgs-water-data\",\n  \"visibility\": \"public\",\n  \"operation\": \"get_river_level\",\n  \"version\": 1,\n  \"input\": {\n    \"location\": \"Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO\"\n  },\n  \"response\": {\n    \"format\": \"json\"\n  }\n}")
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.fous.com/v1/query",
    data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    method="POST",
)
try:
    with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response:
        result = json.load(response)
except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
    raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error
if result.get("success") is False:
    raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed"))
print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2))
```

```typescript
// Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts.
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000),
  body: JSON.stringify({
  "api": "@usgs-water-data",
  "visibility": "public",
  "operation": "get_river_level",
  "version": 1,
  "input": {
    "location": "Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO"
  },
  "response": {
    "format": "json"
  }
}),
});
type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } };
const result: ApiResult = await response.json();
if (!response.ok || result.success === false) {
  throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);
}
if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data");
console.log(result.data.output);
```

## Use from an AI assistant

Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input.

- Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/usgs-water-data`
- Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer <Fous API key>`

**Tools**

- `get_river_level`: Get river level. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted.
- `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free.

Claude Code:

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-usgs-water-data https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/usgs-water-data --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}"
```

To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt.

## Use cases

- Monitor river heights near towns
- Track changes in river flow
- Check whether water reaches flood stage
- Review 24-hour river-level trends
- Find gauge locations and observation times

## FAQ

### Can I run it with my own inputs?

Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.

### Can I call this USGS Water Data tool as an API?

Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.

### How much does it cost?

Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.

### Do I need a USGS Water Data account?

No. You only need a Fous account.

### How current is the data?

Fous gets the data from waterdata.usgs.gov when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.

### What is the latest river level near a location?

Get river level returns the most recent gauge height and observation time for a matching river gauge.

### Is a river at or above flood stage?

Get river level returns whether the water height reaches or exceeds flood stage when that information is known.

### How has a river level changed in the past 24 hours?

Get river level returns the water-height trend over the past 24 hours.

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