This tool was developed to support accessing and processing public water quality data. It allows users to connect to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) water data APIs, search for monitoring sites, and explore patterns in water quality.
We focus on water quality as a phenomenon, helping to understand how different pollutants impact it and what conditions lead to changes in water quality.
The USGS provides hydrological data from several water-related data services. You can sign up for an optional API key to avoid rate limits.
Note: Most requests work fine with the default settings.
Define a bounding box and a target date for your investigation.
Salinity behaves in interesting ways in estuaries where fresh and salt water meet. We use Specific Conductance (parameter 00095) as a proxy for salinity.
E.Coli problems often occur after rains, when sewers release bacteria. We search for E.Coli using Water Quality Portal (WQP) parameters.
Dissolved oxygen is critical for aquatic life. We search for Dissolved Oxygen (parameter 00300).
Nitrates can indicate fertilizer runoff or sewage. We search for Nitrate (parameter 00618).
Lead is a toxic heavy metal. We search for Lead (parameter 01051).