# USGS Water Data Export for Rivers and Streams

> USGS streamflow data download by station, state or map area. Get river discharge and gage height with units, UTC times and approval status.

URL: https://cliqtomedia.com/actors/usgs-water-data-export/

Category: Government & open data · Status: coming soon · Apify profile: https://apify.com/cliqtomedia?fpr=cliqto

Export river flow and water level readings from USGS. Choose stations, a US state or a small map area. Get recent history or just the latest reading.

## How to use it: 3 steps

1. **Follow us on Apify.** The tool is built and waits in the queue for the Apify Store. Apify is the cloud platform where our tools run.
2. **Paste your input and press Start.** No code needed: you fill in a form (the input). It already has a working example. For example: `01646500` in USGS station numbers. Each start is one run.
3. **Download the results.** When the run ends, the results are in a table (the dataset). Open Output, press Export and pick Excel or CSV. JSON and the API are there too.

## What it does

Export USGS river discharge and gage height into clean JSON or CSV files. Choose station numbers, a US state or a map area, and get recent history or the latest readings with units and approval status. No USGS account or API key is needed.





## Price

Prices will be shown after release.

## Questions

### How far back can I go?

One run covers up to 31 days. Use several runs for a longer time.

### What does Provisional mean?

USGS has not approved the reading yet. It can still change.

### Do I need a USGS account?

No. You do not need an account or API key.

### How many stations can I add?

Up to 20 station numbers per run, or one state, or one map box.

### Is a USGS key needed?

No. The tested route works without one. USGS rate limits still apply, including on shared cloud IPs.

### Does zero mean a missing value?

No. Numeric zero stays zero. Missing and non-numeric source values have `value: null`; `rawValue` keeps the source text when present.

### Are timestamps local?

`dateTime` is UTC. `sourceDateTime` keeps the source offset. `timeZone` is the station's USGS abbreviation; it is not an IANA time-zone identifier. `usesDaylightSavings` keeps the source flag.

### Can I fetch all historical data in one run?

No. Each export is limited to 31 days and 1000 observations. Use smaller windows and inspect completeness.

### Can I replace an older WaterServices tool without changes?

The core station and measurement fields are similar, but UTC dates, qualifier arrays, unit text and parameter names may differ. Approval status is a separate field. Older input fields and daily-value mode are not supported.

## Data fields

- `observationId` (string): Stable time-series ID plus UTC timestamp; safe for joining repeat exports.
- `site` (string): USGS station number, preserving leading zeros.
- `siteName` (string): Name from the monitoring-locations endpoint.
- `latitude` (number): Station latitude in WGS84 degrees.
- `longitude` (number): Station longitude in WGS84 degrees.
- `parameterCode` (string): Five-digit USGS measurement parameter code.
- `parameterName` (string): Name from the USGS parameter-codes endpoint.
- `unit` (string): Units exactly as reported with the observation.
- `value` (number): Numeric value when parseable; null for missing or non-numeric values. Use rawValue for full precision.
- `rawValue` (string): Exact source value string; no rounding.
- `dateTime` (string): Observation timestamp normalized to UTC ISO 8601.
- `sourceDateTime` (string): Original timestamp with source offset.
- `timeZone` (string): Station time zone abbreviation; not an IANA time zone.
- `usesDaylightSavings` (boolean): Whether USGS marks the station as using daylight savings.
- `qualifiers` (array): USGS observation qualifier codes as an array; scalar source codes are wrapped. Null means none supplied. See approvalStatus separately.
- `approvalStatus` (string): USGS Approved or Provisional; provisional values may be revised.
- `statistic` (string): USGS statistic code, for example 00011 for instantaneous data.
- `timeSeriesId` (string): USGS time-series identifier.
- `provider` (string): USGS data source.
- `sourceUrl` (string): API page from which this observation was fetched.
- `fetchedAt` (string): Fetch time in UTC.
- `sourceUpdatedAt` (string): Source last_modified timestamp; a refresh does not always mean the measurement changed.
- `licence` (string): USGS public domain attribution.

## Input settings

- `sites` (array): Use 1–20 USGS site numbers (8–15 digits). Choose sites OR state OR bbox. Duplicate numbers are removed.
- `state` (string): Two-digit US state/territory FIPS code, for example 24 for Maryland. Choose this instead of sites or bbox. Results cover at most 20 observed stations.
- `bbox` (array): Four numbers [west,south,east,north] in WGS84 degrees. Choose this instead of sites or state. West must be less than east; no antimeridian crossing.
- `parameters` (array): 1–5 five-digit USGS parameter codes. 00060 = discharge; 00065 = gage height. Measurements keep source units.
- `latestOnly` (boolean): When true, return the latest observation per time series only if it falls in the date window. When false, export the continuous history in the window.
- `lastDays` (integer): Rolling window ending at run start, in UTC. Use 1–31 days. Omit this field when using startDate/endDate.
- `startDate` (string): YYYY-MM-DD inclusive UTC start. Supply endDate too; omit lastDays. Maximum inclusive range is 31 days.
- `endDate` (string): YYYY-MM-DD inclusive UTC end (through 23:59:59.999). Supply startDate too; omit lastDays.
- `maxResults` (integer): Stop after 1–1000 saved observations. A small limit can fill with one station before later stations are reached. Check RUN_SUMMARY for partial results.

## Step by step on Apify

1. Open Input. The example has three stations, discharge and the last seven days.
2. Keep `maxResults` at 200 for a small first export.
3. Click Start.
4. Open Water observations to see station, value, units, time and approval status.
5. Open Run summary to check the status and any limit reason.

## Use cases

| Need | Input | Key fields |
|---|---|---|
| Research a recent river period | sites + date range | rawValue, dateTime, unit, approvalStatus |
| Compare current stations | sites + latestOnly | site, value, unit, sourceUpdatedAt |
| Explore a small region | state or bbox | siteName, latitude, longitude, parameterCode |

## Tips

- Keep the leading zeros in station numbers, like 01646500.
- Use code 00060 for discharge and 00065 for gage height.
- Read the run summary. A small row limit can fill with the first station.

## Limits

This is a continuous-data export, not a flood warning service. It does not fetch daily aggregates, field measurements or water-quality samples. It does not convert units or infer missing readings. Metadata may be null if the source has no station details.



## Sample result

```json
{
  "observationId": "66a4e3fb8abe42fcb0942b5c0fe98f68:2026-10-13T13:50:00.000Z",
  "site": "01646500",
  "siteName": "POTOMAC RIVER NEAR WASH, DC LITTLE FALLS PUMP STA",
  "latitude": 38.949777777777776,
  "longitude": -77.12763888888888,
  "parameterCode": "00060",
  "parameterName": "Discharge",
  "unit": "ft^3/s",
  "value": 11300,
  "rawValue": "11300",
  "dateTime": "2026-10-13T13:50:00.000Z",
  "sourceDateTime": "2026-10-13T13:50:00+00:00",
  "timeZone": "EST",
  "usesDaylightSavings": true,
  "qualifiers": null,
  "approvalStatus": "Provisional",
  "statistic": "00011",
  "timeSeriesId": "66a4e3fb8abe42fcb0942b5c0fe98f68",
  "provider": "USGS",
  "sourceUrl": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/ogcapi/v1/collections/latest-continuous/items?f=json&limit=20&parameter_code=00060&time=2026-10-06T14%3A22%3A05.011Z%2F2026-10-13T14%3A22%3A05.011Z&monitoring_location_id=USGS-01646500%2CUSGS-09380000%2CUSGS-03339000",
  "fetchedAt": "2026-10-13T14:22:05.607Z",
  "sourceUpdatedAt": "2026-10-13T13:58:17.797147+00:00",
  "licence": "USGS public domain"
}
```

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