# 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/workflows/usgs-water-data
- Handle: `@usgs-water-data`
- Category: [Science](https://fous.com/workflows/category/science)
- Source website: https://waterdata.usgs.gov
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026
- Fous is not affiliated with USGS Water Data.

## Methods

### Get river level

Operation `get_river_level`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

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

Call the API with a Fous API key (`FOUS_API_KEY`). To create one, turn on Developer mode in Fous Studio, then open Keys & connections → API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys).

```bash
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
: "${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example}"

curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 120 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_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.
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
import json
import os
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = os.environ.get("FOUS_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example")

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=120) 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.
// First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
const apiKey = process.env.FOUS_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example");

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_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);
```

Or describe the data in plain language: send `{"api":"@usgs-water-data","prompt":"Describe the data you need, with every detail"}` to the same URL. Fous fills in the input, runs the method that fits and returns only the fields you asked for; `data.route.calls[].request` is the exact call it made. Routing is free; the run costs the same.

## 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

### Is Fous affiliated with USGS Water Data?

No. Fous is not affiliated with USGS Water Data. This workflow reads the public waterdata.usgs.gov website and returns its data.

### How much does it cost?

Each run costs 1 credit. 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; repeating the same request within a day may return the saved result. Fous checks this workflow automatically; it last passed a check 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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