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Daily water observations

usgs:water-daily uses the modern Water Data OGC API, at https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/ogcapi/v0/collections/daily/items. The legacy WaterServices homepage announces decommissioning in early 2027 (checked 2026-09-05), so new access targets the modern API.

  • Select sites with -p sites=07164500 or USGS-07164500; comma-separated IDs and SDK lists are supported. A location, bbox, or point can select sites geographically instead. When both site IDs and a bbox are provided, both apply.
  • --vars 00060 selects streamflow. Variables are five-digit parameter codes; quote codes in YAML to preserve leading zeros. Omitting variables requests all available parameters for the selected sites and dates.
  • -p statistic_id=00003 selects daily means (the default). Other five-digit statistic codes can select minima or maxima. Start and end are inclusive local calendar dates; times of day are ignored for daily values.
  • A one-row JSON probe at each page offset resolves the query without downloading page contents; each asset downloads the corresponding raw CSV. CSV retains coordinates, units, approval status, qualifiers, and modification timestamps, while excluding the volatile GeoJSON response timeStamp.
  • Live checks on 2026-09-05 found that sortby is rejected beyond the first page. Cursor links can also fall back to offset=1 at the end, repeating a record. The adapter therefore uses absolute offsets advanced by the number of returned observations, retaining all original filters. Requests use 10,000 rows per page; the integration test forces one row per page.
  • Access was verified without credentials. API keys raise rate limits but are not required for the supported small queries. API key configuration is not exposed by this adapter.
  • The service homepage identifies its data as US Government work in the public domain.

Reproducibility pins the CSV bytes; the service does not offer immutable versions through these requests.

Upstream revisions

Agencies revise files in place. A locked restore downloads each pinned URL and fails with a checksum mismatch when the bytes have changed; accept the new bytes for chosen entries with pull --update, or re-resolve the whole manifest with pull --force. A lockfile detects changed data; it does not archive it. Keep the cache with the manifest and lockfile. See provenance and drift.

Small probe used to verify the endpoint and filtering:

curl --get 'https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/ogcapi/v0/collections/daily/items' \
  --data-urlencode 'f=csv' --data-urlencode 'monitoring_location_id=USGS-07164500' \
  --data-urlencode 'parameter_code=00060' --data-urlencode 'statistic_id=00003' \
  --data-urlencode 'time=2024-05-06/2024-05-07' --data-urlencode 'limit=1' \
  --data-urlencode 'offset=0'

Metadata sources

Every value in the catalog entry's resolution, cadence, citation, terms, variables, and limits comes from one of these pages. A field the agency does not publish is left empty rather than estimated.

  • Resolution and updates: the OGC API documentation, which says daily data are automatically calculated from the continuous data of the same parameter code.
  • Variables: the parameter codes this guide names, with the units the CSV carries. Any NWIS parameter code can appear, so the list is a sample.
  • Terms: the USGS copyrights and credits page, which places USGS-produced data in the public domain and asks for credit.
  • Citation: USGS publishes no citation form for these records, so the entry uses the agency, product, and access form.
  • Latency is empty: the API documentation states no lag between a day's end and its daily value.

USGS access notes.

Reference

usgs:water-daily · Released · Included since usdata 0.5. Streamflow and Water Daily Values.

At a glance

Parameters

Pass these as --param name=value to the CLI, as params: entries in a manifest, or as keyword arguments to build_query.

Parameter Meaning
site One USGS monitoring ID, with or without the USGS- prefix.
sites Several monitoring IDs, comma-separated or a list.
statistic_id Five-digit statistic code; default 00003 (daily mean).

Variables

Variable Units Meaning
00060 cubic feet per second Discharge (streamflow)
00065 feet Gage height
00010 degrees Celsius Water temperature

Catalog facts

  • Availability: since 0.5
  • Domain: Water resources
  • Spatial resolution: USGS monitoring locations, one site per record
  • Temporal resolution: Daily
  • Updates: Daily values are automatically calculated from the continuous data of the same parameter code
  • Terms of use: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits
  • Citation: U.S. Geological Survey, Water Data for the Nation daily values, accessed via usdata
  • Coverage: not specified in the catalog
  • Coverage varies by station, product, and date; the range above does not guarantee observations.
  • Upstream documentation
  • License: US Government Work (public domain)
  • Transport: http
  • Adapter: usdata.providers.usgs.daily:WaterDaily