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Usgs Water README

The full upstream README, mirrored for reference. Install config, tool schemas, adoption signals and our own overview live on the Usgs Water listing page.

Back to Usgs Water View source on GitHub

mcp-usgs-water

USGS Water Services (NWIS) MCP.

Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1715+ live data sources. This is an independent, unofficial integration — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or published by the upstream provider.

Tools

ToolDescription
current_conditionsLatest instantaneous (real-time) readings for one or more USGS gauge sites. Returns the most recent value per site × parameter — e.g. current streamflow and gage height for a river. Common parameter codes: 00060 = discharge/streamflow (ft³/s), 00065 = gage height (ft), 00010 = water temperature (°C), 00045 = precipitation (in), 00095 = specific conductance, 00300 = dissolved oxygen, 63680 = turbidity. Keyless.
daily_valuesDaily-values time series for a single USGS site + parameter over a date range. Returns one statistic per day (default mean). Useful for trends, hydrographs, and historical comparison. Common statCd: 00003 = mean, 00001 = max, 00002 = min. Common parameter codes: 00060 = discharge (ft³/s), 00065 = gage height (ft), 00010 = water temperature (°C). Keyless.
find_sitesDiscover active USGS gauge sites in a US state that are currently reporting a given parameter (real-time). Returns sites with their latest reading; useful for finding which gauges are live in a region. Can match many sites, so results are capped. Keyless.

Quick Start

Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):

config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usgs-water": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/usgs-water/mcp"
    }
  }
}

What this endpoint actually serves

tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/usgs-water/mcp returns the tools in the table above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx, discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and is the authoritative answer for a given day.

This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth, connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.

Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:

config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pipeworx": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1715+ data sources. The only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx reaches all of them from either one.

No MCP client? Call it over HTTP

Terminal
curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/usgs_water_current_conditions \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"sites":"01646500"}'

No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/usgs_water_current_conditions. Find one: POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_packs with {"query":"..."}.

Standalone (no gateway account)

This package also runs as a local stdio MCP server — no Pipeworx account, no gateway round-trip:

config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usgs-water": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-usgs-water"]
    }
  }
}

Or run it directly to confirm it starts:

Terminal
npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-usgs-water

It speaks MCP over stdin/stdout and answers initialize/tools/list/tools/call for only this pack's tools — none of the shared meta-tools the gateway connection above adds. Same source, same tools, no ask_pipeworx routing.

Using with ask_pipeworx

Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:

Code
ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Usgs Water data" })

The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.

More

License

MIT