USGS Water Data APIs

USGS Water Data APIs

USGS's Water Data APIs (OGC API collections for continuous and daily values) return real-time and historical streamflow, gage height, groundwater and water-quality readings from USGS monitoring locations as JSON/GeoJSON. No key is required; an optional free api.data.gov key raises request limits.

Coverage

Collections listed by the OGC API include latest-continuous and daily-values data from USGS monitoring locations. History start, update frequency and delay: Not stated on the checked pages. Distinct from the catalog's existing USGS Earthquake Hazards entry, which is a different USGS program.

Verdict

A keyless JSON/GeoJSON OGC API for real-time and historical US streamflow, gage height, groundwater and water-quality readings from USGS monitoring locations, distinct from the catalog's USGS Earthquake Hazards entry. The docs page says: "These APIs use API keys managed by api.data.gov. Providing your own key means you can make more requests per hour before getting rate limited" — a numeric hourly limit is not stated for either the keyless or keyed tier. USGS's copyrights page says: "USGS-authored or produced data and information are considered to be in the U.S. Public Domain." Signal Lab links only.