# USGS Water Services MCP for AI Agents AI Agent Connect > USGS Water Services MCP lets you pull real-time and historical hydrological data directly into your AI client. Access streamflow, groundwater levels, and site metadata from across the United States to monitor environmental conditions or analyze long-term trends. ## Overview - **Category:** industry-titans - **Price:** Free - **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_OfHHhdAB8ZnJ9M0HtapDqysFqh6ibB2vDee750La/ai-agent-connect - **Tags:** hydrology, environmental-data, water-monitoring, real-time-data, geospatial-data, climate-science ## Description The USGS Water Services MCP connects your AI client to official hydrological data from the United States Geological Survey. It lets you pull specific water data points like 15-minute streamflow intervals or decades of historical summaries without manual searching. You can find monitoring stations by state, county, or geographic area and get straight to the numbers you need for reports or safety checks. It turns a tedious research process into a natural conversation. By adding this to your Vinkius setup, you get a direct line to some of the most reliable environmental data in the country without having to learn a new interface or handle messy API keys yourself. You can check current river conditions for outdoor safety, track aquifer health for engineering projects, or gather field data for scientific research. It moves the heavy lifting of data retrieval from your browser to your agent. ## Tools ### get_statistics Retrieve daily, monthly, or annual statistics. Use this to identify broader hydrological patterns. ### get_daily_values Retrieve historical summarized daily data like mean and max values. This is perfect for analyzing long-term trends. ### get_groundwater_levels Pull historical groundwater level records. Use this to monitor aquifer depth and trends over time. ### get_instantaneous_values Fetch near real-time water data at 15-minute intervals. It provides current streamflow and water quality. ### get_sites Search for specific USGS monitoring stations. You can filter by state, county, or geographic bounding boxes. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Find all active USGS water monitoring sites in Florida. ``` **Response:** ``` I've found several active sites in Florida. For example: * **Site 02236000**: ST. JOHNS RIVER NEAR COCOA, FL * **Site 02248000**: ST. JOHNS RIVER NEAR DE LAND, FL Would you like to see the full list or details for a specific one? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Get the last 7 days of water level data for site 08313000. ``` **Response:** ``` Retrieving data for site **08313000** (RIO GRANDE AT OTOWI BRIDGE, NM)... Over the last 7 days, the gage height has fluctuated between **3.12 and 3.45 feet**. Would you like a more detailed breakdown of the 15-minute intervals? ``` **Prompt:** ``` What are the daily mean statistics for discharge at site 01646500? ``` **Response:** ``` For site **01646500** (POTOMAC RIVER NEAR WASH, DC), the daily mean discharge for today's date historically is **12,400 cubic feet per second (cfs)**. * **Record High**: 85,000 cfs (1996) * **Status**: Historical average for current date. ``` ## Capabilities ### Fetch real-time streamflow Get near real-time water data at 15-minute intervals for current monitoring. ### Pull historical water levels Retrieve summarized daily data including mean, median, max, and min values. ### Search USGS monitoring stations Find specific sites using filters like state, county, or geographic bounding boxes. ### Get hydrological statistics Generate daily, monthly, or annual statistics based on approved data sets. ### Track groundwater levels Access specialized historical records for aquifer monitoring and groundwater levels. ## Use Cases ### Flood planning for civil engineers An engineer asks their agent to check the 15-minute streamflow for a specific river to assess flood risk for a new bridge. The agent uses get_instantaneous_values to provide the current data. ### Aquifer health research A scientist needs to see how groundwater levels have changed over a decade in a specific county. The agent uses get_groundwater_levels to pull the historical records. ### Safe river conditions for recreation An outdoor enthusiast asks if a local river is safe for boating today. The agent uses get_instantaneous_values to find the latest water level and flow data. ### Environmental impact reporting A researcher needs a summary of daily discharge averages for a river over the last year. The agent uses get_daily_values to pull the historical summaries. ## Benefits - Stop manual data scraping. Use get_sites to find specific monitoring locations instantly without searching government databases. - Get 15-minute updates. Use get_instantaneous_values to see current river conditions and water quality for immediate safety checks. - Analyze long-term trends. Use get_daily_values to pull years of historical data for research and reporting. - Simplify groundwater monitoring. Use get_groundwater_levels to track aquifer health and depth changes over time. - Automate report statistics. Use get_statistics to pull monthly or annual summaries for your next environmental report. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get instant access to official U.S. hydrological data through a simple chat interface. 1. Subscribe to the USGS Water Services MCP on the Vinkius Marketplace. 2. Enter 'PUBLIC' as your access key to initialize the connection. 3. Ask your AI client to find specific sites or pull water data for a specific date. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can I use the USGS Water Services MCP to find river levels for my fishing trip?** Yes. You can ask your agent to check real-time river conditions for specific locations. It will pull the latest 15-minute updates so you know the current water levels before you head out. **Does the USGS Water Services MCP provide historical data for groundwater?** Yes, it includes specialized tools for groundwater levels. You can pull historical records to monitor aquifer health or study long-term groundwater trends in specific areas. **How do I find specific monitoring stations using this Connector?** You can ask your agent to search for sites by state, county, or even a geographic bounding box. It will return the metadata and IDs for the monitoring stations in that area. **Can I get daily summaries of water flow for a research paper?** Yes. The Connector can retrieve daily summaries, including mean, median, maximum, and minimum values. This is ideal for pulling large amounts of historical data for trend analysis. **Is the data from the USGS Water Services MCP official?** Yes, this Connector connects directly to the United States Geological Survey. You are getting official hydrological data used by scientists and engineers across the country. **Can the USGS Water Services MCP help with flood planning?** Absolutely. Engineers can use it to monitor real-time streamflow and water levels, which is essential for identifying flood risks and planning infrastructure safety. **How can I find all water monitoring sites in a specific state?** Use the `get_sites` tool and provide the 2-digit USPS state code (e.g., 'CA' for California) in the `stateCd` parameter. This will return a list of sites and their metadata for that state. **Can I get real-time streamflow data for a specific river station?** Yes! Use `get_instantaneous_values` with the specific USGS site number in the `sites` parameter. You can also specify `parameterCd` as '00060' for discharge (streamflow). **Is it possible to retrieve long-term monthly averages for a site?** Absolutely. Use the `get_statistics` tool with the `statReportType` set to 'monthly'. This will provide approved statistical summaries based on the historical record of the site.