# USGS Water Data — Streamflow & Gage Height (`ponderable_hydrometer/usgs-water-scraper`) Actor

US river & stream conditions from USGS Water Services — streamflow, gage height, water temperature and more, current or historical. Free keyless API. For anglers, hydrology & apps.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/ponderable\_hydrometer/usgs-water-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Ponderable Hydrometer](https://apify.com/ponderable_hydrometer) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, SEO tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 89.7% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## USGS Water Data — Streamflow & Gage Height

**US river and stream conditions from USGS Water Services — streamflow (discharge), gage height,
water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH and turbidity — current or historical, at any site.** Each
reading carries the site name and coordinates. Free, keyless.

Perfect for anglers and fishing apps, flood/hydrology monitoring, paddling planners and research.

### What you get

One row per reading:

- **Site** — `site` (USGS number), `siteName`, `latitude`, `longitude`
- **Parameter** — `parameterCode`, `parameterName` (decoded, e.g. "Streamflow, ft³/s"), `unit`
- **Reading** — `value`, `dateTime`, `qualifiers`

By default the actor returns the **latest reading** per site+parameter. Ask for a `period` or an
explicit date window to get the full history.

### Common parameter codes

`00060` streamflow (cfs) · `00065` gage height (ft) · `00010` water temperature (°C) · `00300`
dissolved oxygen · `00400` pH · `63680` turbidity. Default is `00060,00065,00010`.

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|-------|------|---------|-------------|
| `sites` | array | — | USGS site numbers, e.g. `["01646500"]` (Potomac at DC). **Required.** |
| `parameters` | array | streamflow/gage/temp | USGS parameter codes |
| `service` | enum | `iv` | `iv` = instantaneous (sub-hourly), `dv` = daily values |
| `period` | string | — | ISO-8601 duration, e.g. `P7D`, `P1M` (empty = latest reading only) |
| `startDT` / `endDT` | string | — | Explicit `YYYY-MM-DD` window (overrides `period`) |

#### Example input

```json
{"sites":["01646500","09380000"],"parameters":["00060","00065","00010"]}
```

7-day streamflow history:

```json
{"sites":["01646500"],"parameters":["00060"],"period":"P7D"}
```

Daily values in a window:

```json
{"sites":["01646500"],"parameters":["00060"],"service":"dv","startDT":"2026-06-01","endDT":"2026-06-30"}
```

### Output (one reading)

Fields below are the real normalizer output:

```json
{
  "site": "01646500",
  "siteName": "POTOMAC RIVER NEAR WASH, DC LITTLE FALLS PUMP STA",
  "latitude": 38.94977778,
  "longitude": -77.12763889,
  "parameterCode": "00060",
  "parameterName": "Streamflow, ft³/s",
  "unit": "ft3/s",
  "value": 4230,
  "dateTime": "2026-07-12T09:30:00.000-04:00",
  "qualifiers": "P"
}
```

### Why this actor

- **Latest-by-default** — current conditions in one call, with on-demand history.
- **Multi-site, multi-parameter** — pull a whole basin's gauges and metrics at once.
- **Clean & keyless** — decoded units, site coordinates, official USGS Water Services, retry/backoff.

### Pricing

Pay per result — **$1.00 per 1,000 results** (one result = one reading). No subscription or platform fees.

### Related actors

- **NOAA Tides & Currents** — coastal tide & current predictions.
- **Marine Weather Forecast** — waves & swell for sailing/fishing.
- **Open-Meteo Weather Scraper** — geocoding + weather forecasts.

### Notes & limits

- Find site numbers at [waterdata.usgs.gov](https://waterdata.usgs.gov). Not every site reports
  every parameter.
- Intraday (`iv`) data is provisional and subject to revision by USGS.
- Public official data; independent tool, not affiliated with the USGS. You are responsible for
  compliant use of the output.

# Actor input Schema

## `sites` (type: `array`):

USGS monitoring site numbers, e.g. \["01646500" (Potomac at DC), "09380000" (Colorado at Lees Ferry)]. Find sites at waterdata.usgs.gov.

## `parameters` (type: `array`):

USGS parameter codes. Empty = default (00060 streamflow, 00065 gage height, 00010 water temp). Others: 00300 dissolved O2, 00400 pH, 63680 turbidity.

## `service` (type: `string`):

iv = instantaneous (sub-hourly) values, dv = daily values.

## `period` (type: `string`):

History window, e.g. "P7D" (7 days), "P1M" (1 month). Empty = latest reading only.

## `startDT` (type: `string`):

Explicit start date YYYY-MM-DD. Use with End date (overrides Period).

## `endDT` (type: `string`):

Explicit end date YYYY-MM-DD.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "sites": [
    "01646500"
  ],
  "service": "iv"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All rows produced by this run, as JSON.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "sites": [
        "01646500"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("ponderable_hydrometer/usgs-water-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "sites": ["01646500"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("ponderable_hydrometer/usgs-water-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "sites": [
    "01646500"
  ]
}' |
apify call ponderable_hydrometer/usgs-water-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,ponderable_hydrometer/usgs-water-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/I0Hv7D6K8EdUtbFeK/builds/BHNxN30nhu3gLd33o/openapi.json