# River Gauges MCP provides live USGS data. AI Agent Connect > River Gauges MCP connects your AI client to thousands of USGS surface-water sites across the United States. Your agent can pull live streamflow, gage height, and water temperature readings that refresh every 5 to 15 minutes. It's the fastest way to ask your AI if a river is rising, falling, or hitting flood stages without digging through government databases manually. ## Overview - **Category:** weather-climate - **Price:** Free - **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_ZQ2zJ4RKHumv5Qgw80vyGnzTxhglEt8F0d4GxcUO/ai-agent-connect - **Tags:** rivers, water, streamflow, flood, usgs, hydrology, real-time, environmental ## Description You can now give your AI agent direct access to the USGS hydrological network. Instead of searching through complex web interfaces, you just ask your client for the current conditions at a specific site or state. This MCP pulls real-time data including streamflow in cubic feet per second and gage height relative to the local gauge staff. If you need more detail, your agent can also fetch water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance. It's built for anyone who needs to know exactly what the water is doing right now, whether you're checking a local creek for a paddle run or monitoring a major river for flood risks. The data is refreshed constantly, providing a clear picture of whether a river is rising or falling over a 24-hour window. Since these readings are provisional, your agent can help you interpret the most recent trends before the USGS finalizes the numbers. ## Tools ### get_river_conditions This tool pulls the latest streamflow, gage height, and recent measurement trends for a specific USGS site. You can also request additional parameters like water temperature, pH, or dissolved oxygen. ### get_gauge_site This tool retrieves metadata for a single USGS gauge, including its name, coordinates, drainage area, and altitude. ### get_river_stage_history This tool provides the recent gage-height curve to show if a river is rising or falling over a specific time window. ### list_gauges_by_state This tool returns a list of all active USGS stream gauges in a specific US state to help you find the correct site ID. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` What's the Potomac doing at gauge 01646500 right now? Give me the flow and level, and whether it's rising or falling. ``` **Response:** ``` The Potomac at Little Falls (01646500) is running at about 2,400 ft³/s with a gage height near 2.7 ft. Over the last 24 hours the level has fallen roughly 0.3 ft, so the river is going down and no flooding is forecast at this site. ``` **Prompt:** ``` List the USGS river gauges in Maryland. I'm looking for one near the Patapsco. ``` **Response:** ``` Maryland has roughly 190 active USGS surface-water gauges. The ones nearest to the Patapsco are listed below with their site numbers. The closest is Patapsco River at Hollofield (01582500). Tell me which one you want and I will read its live flow and level. ``` **Prompt:** ``` The Mississippi has been rising all week. Show me the stage history at St. Louis for the last seven days. ``` **Response:** ``` Gauge 07010000, the Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO, reads 6.42 m as of 01:00 local on 20 Sep 2026. This is up from 1.69 m on 13 Sep. That is a rise of about 4.7 m in seven days, and the river was still climbing at the last report. ``` ## Capabilities ### Real-time monitoring Your agent accesses USGS data refreshed every 5 to 15 minutes. ### Trend analysis The AI calculates if a river is rising or falling based on recent gage-height history. ### Site discovery Your agent can find specific gauge IDs by searching through lists of active sites by state. ### Water quality checks The AI can retrieve temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen levels upon request. ### Hydrological context Your agent uses drainage area and altitude data to provide context for flow numbers. ## Use Cases ### Flood Monitoring An emergency manager asks the AI to check if a river's stage is rising rapidly after a heavy rain event. ### Recreational Planning A kayaker asks if the current streamflow at a specific gauge is sufficient for a planned run. ### Environmental Sampling A researcher asks for the current pH and dissolved oxygen levels at a specific river site. ### Site Identification A user asks for a list of all available gauges in a specific state to find a nearby monitoring point. ## Benefits - Eliminates manual searching through USGS web portals. - Provides immediate trend data for rising or falling water levels. - Delivers water quality parameters alongside flow and height. - Works with any MCP-compatible client like Claude or Cursor. ## How It Works Connecting to live USGS data is a one-click process through Vinkius. 1. Subscribe to the River Gauges MCP on Vinkius. 2. Connect your preferred AI client like Claude or Cursor. 3. Ask your agent a question about a specific river or state. 4. The agent uses the MCP tools to pull live USGS data and gives you a plain language answer. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Does this MCP require an API key?** No, you don't need an account or an API key to use this MCP. **How often is the river data updated?** The USGS refreshes the streamflow and gage-height data every 5 to 15 minutes. **What does streamflow mean?** Streamflow is the volume of water moving past the gauge, measured in cubic feet per second in the US. **Is the gage height the same as altitude?** No, gage height is the water level against the gauge staff at that specific site, not the altitude above sea level. **Can I get data for rivers outside the US?** No, this MCP only provides data from USGS sites, which are located within the United States. **Are the river readings always accurate?** Recent readings are marked as provisional, meaning the USGS may revise them later as they check the data. **Does this need an API key?** No. All endpoints used here are USGS public water services. Subscribe and ask away. **What is the difference between streamflow and gage height?** Gage height is how deep the water is against that gauge's own reference staff — it is a local number. Streamflow is the volume of water moving past the gauge, in cubic feet per second in the US. Two sites at the same height can have very different flows because of channel shape, which is why the site metadata includes the drainage area. **Why are recent readings marked provisional?** USGS publishes data as soon as the gauge sends it, then reviews and corrects it as the record is assembled. A reading from the last day or two can shift — usually only slightly, sometimes more after a storm or if the sensor was fouled. Data older than a few months has been approved.