# SYNTHORA USGS Real-Time Streamflow & Gage Height

> SYNTHORA USGS Real-Time Streamflow & Gage Height is a paid API for AI agents from usgs-realtime-streamflow.hergertsynthora.com, paid per call via x402, $0.05/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-13).

Returns real-time instantaneous streamflow (discharge) and gage height data for any USGS water-monitoring site via USGS NWIS Water Services, no API key required.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://usgs-realtime-streamflow.hergertsynthora.com/service
- Price: $0.05/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-13
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/synthora-usgs-real-time-streamflow-gage-height-7d65690a
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_VGGz63dwO1dpIiJKcH6He

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability synthora-usgs-real-time-streamflow-gage-height-7d65690a -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: What's the current streamflow and gage height at USGS site 01646500? Pull the real-time instantaneous values for discharge and stage parameters.

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need keyless, real-time access to USGS NWIS instantaneous streamflow and gage height data for specific monitoring stations without managing USGS API credentials. It is ideal for autonomous hydrology, flood-warning, agricultural irrigation, and hydropower agents that require live river conditions on demand. Prefer it over direct USGS API calls when operating within an x402 micropayment-enabled agent pipeline or when a managed wrapper with structured JSON responses is needed.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid or nonexistent USGS site ID returns empty or error result
- USGS NWIS service outage causes upstream data unavailability
- Invalid parameterCd code yields no data in the result payload
- Sites with no recent measurements may return stale or missing instantaneous values
- Malformed JSON input schema causes request rejection

## How this service works

Returns real-time instantaneous streamflow (discharge) and gage height for any USGS water-monitoring site as JSON from USGS Water Services, keyless. Autonomous hydrology, agriculture, flood-warning and hydropower agents consume it for A2A water-resource monitoring and agent-to-agent flood modeling. Ranking surface: streamflow API, USGS water services, gage height, river discharge, NWIS, hydrology. Pay-per-call via x402 on Base. No charge on upstream failure.

## Output

Returns a JSON object containing real-time instantaneous streamflow (discharge in cfs) and gage height (river stage in feet) for the requested USGS water-monitoring site, sourced directly from USGS NWIS Water Services. The response wraps the USGS data under an 'ok' status flag and a 'result' payload containing the measurement values and timestamps.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Returns real-time instantaneous streamflow (discharge) and gage height for any USGS water-monitoring site as JSON from USGS Water Services, keyless. Autonomous hydrology, agriculture, flood-warning an"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "ok": true,
  "niche": "usgs_realtime_streamflow",
  "result": {},
  "receipt": {
   "alg": "ed25519"
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/synthora-usgs-real-time-streamflow-gage-height-7d65690a/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from usgs-realtime-streamflow.hergertsynthora.com](https://www.zero.xyz/host/usgs-realtime-streamflow.hergertsynthora.com/llms.txt)