---

name: usgs-data-download description: Download water level data from USGS using the dataretrieval package. Use when accessing real-time or historical streamflow data, downloading gage height or discharge measurements, or working with USGS station IDs. license: MIT

USGS Data Download Guide

Overview

This guide covers downloading water level data from USGS using the dataretrieval Python package. USGS maintains thousands of stream gages across the United States that record water levels at 15-minute intervals.

Installation

pip install dataretrieval

nwis Module (Recommended)

The NWIS module is reliable and straightforward for accessing gage height data.

from dataretrieval import nwis

# Get instantaneous values (15-min intervals)
df, meta = nwis.get_iv(
    sites='<station_id>',
    start='<start_date>',
    end='<end_date>',
    parameterCd='00065'
)

# Get daily values
df, meta = nwis.get_dv(
    sites='<station_id>',
    start='<start_date>',
    end='<end_date>',
    parameterCd='00060'
)

# Get site information
info, meta = nwis.get_info(sites='<station_id>')

Parameter Codes

| Code | Parameter | Unit | Description | |------|-----------|------|-------------| | 00065 | Gage height | feet | Water level above datum | | 00060 | Discharge | cfs | Streamflow volume |

nwis Module Functions

| Function | Description | Data Frequency | |----------|-------------|----------------| | nwis.get_iv() | Instantaneous values | ~15 minutes | | nwis.get_dv() | Daily values | Daily | | nwis.get_info() | Site information | N/A | | nwis.get_stats() | Statistical summaries | N/A | | nwis.get_peaks() | Annual peak discharge | Annual |

Returned DataFrame Structure

The DataFrame has a datetime index and these columns:

| Column | Description | |--------|-------------| | site_no | Station ID | | 00065 | Water level value | | 00065_cd | Quality code (can ignore) |

Downloading Multiple Stations

from dataretrieval import nwis

station_ids = ['<id_1>', '<id_2>', '<id_3>']
all_data = {}

for site_id in station_ids:
    try:
        df, meta = nwis.get_iv(
            sites=site_id,
            start='<start_date>',
            end='<end_date>',
            parameterCd='00065'
        )
        if len(df) > 0:
            all_data[site_id] = df
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Failed to download {site_id}: {e}")

print(f"Successfully downloaded: {len(all_data)} stations")

Extracting the Value Column

# Find the gage height column (excludes quality code column)
gage_col = [c for c in df.columns if '00065' in str(c) and '_cd' not in str(c)]

if gage_col:
    water_levels = df[gage_col[0]]
    print(water_levels.head())

Common Issues

| Issue | Cause | Solution | |-------|-------|----------| | Empty DataFrame | Station has no data for date range | Try different dates or use get_iv() | | get_dv() returns empty | No daily gage height data | Use get_iv() and aggregate | | Connection error | Network issue | Wrap in try/except, retry | | Rate limited | Too many requests | Add delays between requests |

Best Practices

• Always wrap API calls in try/except for failed downloads
• Check len(df) > 0 before processing
• Station IDs are 8-digit strings with leading zeros (e.g., '04119000')
• Use get_iv() for gage height, as daily data is often unavailable
• Filter columns to exclude quality code columns (_cd)
• Break up large requests into smaller time periods to avoid timeouts