How to Use the USGS Water Services MCP in Claude

Q: What filters does USGS Water Services support for groundwater data?

The getgroundwaterlevels function lets you filter by specific parameters. It retrieves historical, manually-recorded levels across the US.

Q: Can I use USGS Water Services in my workflow with Claude Desktop?

Absolutely. Because it supports both local stdio transport and remote URL connections, you can run these queries whether you're on your machine or accessing the web version of Claude.

Q: Which tools can I use to get streamflow and groundwater level data with Claude Desktop?

You'll want getinstantaneousvalues for real-time readings, or getgroundwaterlevels for historical manual records. Both are highly configurable.

Get live water metrics into your code, right from the Claude Desktop app.

See Vinkius in Action

Works with every AI agent you already use

…and any MCP-compatible client

MCP Servers - Free for Subscribers

Connect USGS Water Services MCP to Claude Desktop

Create your Vinkius account to connect USGS Water Services to Claude Desktop and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

GDPR Free for Subscribers

Setup USGS Water Services with Claude Desktop

Ask AI about this MCP

ChatGPT

Claude

Perplexity

Check real-time streamflow data

The `get_instantaneous_values` tool pulls 15-minute interval readings. You just need to specify filters like a state code, site ID, or bounding box. This lets you run immediate checks on water levels without needing a dedicated API key outside of your local environment.

Search and validate USGS sites

Need to know which monitoring stations exist? Use `get_sites` to search the entire database. You can combine multiple filters, like requiring both a specific county code AND a state code. This function gives you all the metadata needed before running any historical or real-time query.

Pull historical water metrics

The `get_daily_values` tool pulls summarized daily data (mean, max, min). Just filter by what you need and get years of reliable records. It’s perfect for running comparative analysis across different time periods in your local Python script.

Setup guide

Set up USGS Water Services MCP in Claude Web or Desktop

1

Open Claude Settings

Go to claude.ai, click your profile icon, then navigate to Customize → Connectors.
2

Add Custom Connector

Click the "+" button and select Add custom connector. Paste your Vinkius endpoint URL: https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your token from cloud.vinkius.com. For OAuth-protected servers, expand Advanced settings to add credentials.
3

Start a conversation

Open a new chat. The USGS Water Services MCP tools are available immediately — no restart needed.

Endpoint URL

https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp

No configuration file needed — paste the URL directly in the Claude web interface.

Available on Free (1 connector), Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Prerequisites

Claude Desktop installed (macOS or Windows)
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Click the menu icon at the top-left corner, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens claude_desktop_config.json in your default text editor.
2

Paste the USGS Water Services MCP configuration

Copy the JSON snippet on the right into the mcpServers object. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen the application. Claude needs a full restart to load new MCPs — refreshing a conversation is not enough.
4

Verify the connection

Open a new conversation. Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the message input. You should see tools listed under usgs-water-services-mcp.

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "usgs-water-services-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Get your connection token →

Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by USGS Water Services. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

Why Choose Vinkius

Vinkius connects your tools to AI with real-time monitoring and automatic cost savings — all from one dashboard.

Connect USGS Water Services now

Real-time monitoring

Live

visibility into every interaction

Connect your favorite tools to your AI and see exactly what's happening — every request, every response, in real time.

Built-in savings

60%

lower AI costs

Vinkius compresses data between your apps and your AI automatically. Lower bills every month — no configuration required.

Single dashboard

One

place for every integration

Every tool your AI connects to, managed from a single screen. One account, complete control.

Common questions about USGS Water Services MCP in Claude Desktop

You add the server via Settings → Developer and point it to the correct endpoint. Once installed, you can invoke any tool—like `get_instantaneous_values`—directly in your chat prompt or local script.

The `get_groundwater_levels` function lets you filter by specific parameters. It retrieves historical, manually-recorded levels across the US.

Absolutely. Because it supports both local `stdio` transport and remote URL connections, you can run these queries whether you're on your machine or accessing the web version of Claude.

The server handles historical manually-recorded groundwater level data. All interactions are managed via an endpoint token, keeping your access secure within the Vinkius framework.

You'll want `get_instantaneous_values` for real-time readings, or `get_groundwater_levels` for historical manual records. Both are highly configurable.

Use it with your favorite AI tools

Connect this server to Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and more.

OpenAI Agents SDK sdk-python

Google ADK sdk-python

Pydantic AI sdk-python

Vercel AI SDK sdk-typescript