Install
Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).
claude mcp add --transport http usgs-water 'https://gateway.pipeworx.io/usgs-water/mcp'{
"mcpServers": {
"usgs-water": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/usgs-water/mcp"
}
}
}@pipeworx/mcp-usgs-waterclaude mcp add usgs-water -e 'PIPEWORX_API_KEY=<your pipeworx_api_key>' -- npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-usgs-water@0.2.0{
"mcpServers": {
"usgs-water": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@pipeworx/mcp-usgs-water@0.2.0"
],
"env": {
"PIPEWORX_API_KEY": "<your pipeworx_api_key>"
}
}
}
}Environment variables
PIPEWORX_API_KEYsecret Optional Pipeworx API key. Without it calls are anonymous and capped daily; a free key raises the cap.
Documentation
From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.
Contents
mcp-usgs-water
USGS Water Services (NWIS) MCP.
Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1715+ live data sources. This is an independent, unofficial integration — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or published by the upstream provider.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
current_conditions | Latest instantaneous (real-time) readings for one or more USGS gauge sites. Returns the most recent value per site × parameter — e.g. current streamflow and gage height for a river. Common parameter codes: 00060 = discharge/streamflow (ft³/s), 00065 = gage height (ft), 00010 = water temperature (°C), 00045 = precipitation (in), 00095 = specific conductance, 00300 = dissolved oxygen, 63680 = turbidity. Keyless. |
daily_values | Daily-values time series for a single USGS site + parameter over a date range. Returns one statistic per day (default mean). Useful for trends, hydrographs, and historical comparison. Common statCd: 00003 = mean, 00001 = max, 00002 = min. Common parameter codes: 00060 = discharge (ft³/s), 00065 = gage height (ft), 00010 = water temperature (°C). Keyless. |
find_sites | Discover active USGS gauge sites in a US state that are currently reporting a given parameter (real-time). Returns sites with their latest reading; useful for finding which gauges are live in a region. Can match many sites, so results are capped. Keyless. |
Quick Start
Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"usgs-water": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/usgs-water/mcp"
}
}
}What this endpoint actually serves
tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/usgs-water/mcp returns the tools in the table
above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx,
discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the
gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a
single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the
pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and
is the authoritative answer for a given day.
This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a
scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via
ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a
second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without
them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth,
connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.
Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pipeworx": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
}
}
}Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1715+ data sources. The
only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx
reaches all of them from either one.
No MCP client? Call it over HTTP
curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/usgs_water_current_conditions \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"sites":"01646500"}'No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/usgs_water_current_conditions. Find one: POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_packs with {"query":"..."}.
Standalone (no gateway account)
This package also runs as a local stdio MCP server — no Pipeworx account, no gateway round-trip:
{
"mcpServers": {
"usgs-water": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-usgs-water"]
}
}
}Or run it directly to confirm it starts:
npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-usgs-waterIt speaks MCP over stdin/stdout and answers initialize/tools/list/tools/call
for only this pack's tools — none of the shared meta-tools the gateway
connection above adds. Same source, same tools, no ask_pipeworx routing.
Using with ask_pipeworx
Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:
ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Usgs Water data" })The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.
More
License
MIT
Frequently asked questions
What is Usgs Water?
USGS Water Services (NWIS) MCP.
How do I install Usgs Water?
It runs as a remote server. In Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http usgs-water 'https://gateway.pipeworx.io/usgs-water/mcp'. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.
Does Usgs Water need an API key?
Yes. It expects PIPEWORX_API_KEY, which you set in its configuration.
Is Usgs Water open source?
Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.
Who maintains Usgs Water?
It is published by pipeworx-io. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.
From the official MCP Registry. Listing is not an endorsement: review a server's code and permissions before giving it access to your data.