Getting started with the USGS Water Data STAC API
The USGS Water Data STAC API provides access to USGS water data using the SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) family of standards. These APIs will provide access to a wide array of USGS water data stored in native formats. That means this API will provide you with links to where the data you're interested in is stored, rather than providing you the data directly as a result of your query.
Other than that, however, the STAC API is structured similarly to the USGS Water Data OGC APIs. Many of the field names and structures should be identical between both the STAC and OGC APIs.
This page outlines the structure of the STAC APIs, gives some advice on making efficient queries, and provides information about using API keys with these services to access higher rate limits. For at-a-glance reference information, including a list of available endpoints and the parameters they accept, check out the SwaggerUI documentation for these services. This page focuses on how the USGS Water Data STAC API is structured, which is more opinionated than the STAC standard requires; for information on STAC itself, read the standard's official documentation.
How the USGS Water Data STAC is structured
The USGS Water Data STAC publishes metadata about available data files through three main objects:
- The STAC catalog (at https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/) lets you know what functionality this API supports.
- STAC collections (example) collect all the items that belong to a single data set together, and provide top-level metadata that applies to all the data in the collection. You can also get a list of all the collections available from this API by going to the collections URL.
- STAC items (example) contain the metadata for a single data file, plus links to where you can download that data directly. You can get a list of the items available in a collection by going to that collection's /items URL (example).
This section will walk through each of these object types and highlight what information each provides. The next section walks through how to build queries against the APIs.
STAC Catalog
The USGS Water Data STAC API has a single STAC Catalog, hosted at https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/. When the STAC API first launched, it looked like this:
{
"type": "Catalog",
"id": "usgs-water-data-stac",
"title": "USGS Water Data STAC",
"description": "USGS Water Data STAC API",
"stac_version": "1.0.0",
"conformsTo": [
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/cql2/1.0/conf/basic-cql2",
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/cql2/1.0/conf/cql2-json",
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/cql2/1.0/conf/cql2-text",
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/ogcapi-common-2/1.0/conf/simple-query",
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/ogcapi-features-1/1.0/conf/core",
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/ogcapi-features-1/1.0/conf/geojson",
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/ogcapi-features-1/1.0/conf/oas30",
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/ogcapi-features-3/1.0/conf/features-filter",
"http://www.opengis.net/spec/ogcapi-features-3/1.0/conf/filter",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0-rc.1/collection-search",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0-rc.1/collection-search#fields",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0-rc.1/collection-search#filter",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0-rc.1/collection-search#free-text",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0-rc.1/collection-search#query",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0-rc.1/collection-search#sort",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0-rc.2/item-search#filter",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/collections",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/core",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/item-search",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/item-search#fields",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/item-search#query",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/item-search#sort",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/ogcapi-features",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/ogcapi-features#fields",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/ogcapi-features#query",
"https://api.stacspec.org/v1.0.0/ogcapi-features#sort"
],
"links": [
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "This document",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "Root",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "data",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "Collections available for this Catalog",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections"
},
{
"rel": "conformance",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "STAC/OGC conformance classes implemented by this server",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/conformance"
},
{
"rel": "search",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"title": "STAC search [GET]",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search",
"method": "GET"
},
{
"rel": "search",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"title": "STAC search [POST]",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search",
"method": "POST"
},
{
"rel": "http://www.opengis.net/def/rel/ogc/1.0/queryables",
"type": "application/schema+json",
"title": "Queryables available for this Catalog",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/queryables",
"method": "GET"
},
{
"rel": "service-desc",
"type": "application/vnd.oai.openapi+json;version=3.0",
"title": "OpenAPI service description",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/api"
},
{
"rel": "service-doc",
"type": "text/html",
"title": "OpenAPI service documentation",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/api.html"
}
],
"stac_extensions": []
}
The purpose of the catalog is to let you (and other applications) know what functionality the STAC API supports. The links under "conformsTo" announce what features these APIs support in a machine-readable format that other apps can use to determine what queries are going to succeed. For humans, the link with a "rel" of "service-doc" points to our SwaggerUI documentation which lists available endpoints and how they can be queried.
Another useful link in the catalog is the link to the collections endpoint, which has the "rel" of "data". This page lists all the STAC collections that are published through this API.
STAC Collections
The collections page contains multiple STAC collection objects. Each of these collections can be viewed independently by going to its collection page at https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/{collectionID}. For instance, the "ratings" collection can be viewed at https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings.
A collection represents a single cohesive data set, and provides useful links and metadata about the entire data set. For instance, the "ratings" collection looks like this:
{
"id": "ratings",
"type": "Collection",
"links": [
{
"rel": "items",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "about",
"href": "https://waterdata.usgs.gov/",
"title": "WDFN - Water Data for the Nation"
},
{
"rel": "license",
"href": "https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits",
"title": "USGS Government Work in the Public Domain"
},
{
"rel": "http://www.opengis.net/def/rel/ogc/1.0/queryables",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/queryables",
"type": "application/schema+json",
"title": "Queryables"
},
{
"rel": "http://www.opengis.net/def/rel/ogc/1.0/queryables",
"type": "application/schema+json",
"title": "Queryables",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/queryables"
}
],
"title": "USGS Stage Discharge Rating Curves",
"extent": {
"spatial": {
"bbox": [
[-180, -90, 180, 90]
]
},
"temporal": {
"interval": [
[null, null]
]
}
},
"license": "CC0-1.0",
"keywords": [
"rating curves",
"stage-discharge",
"streamflow"
],
"providers": [
{
"url": "https://waterdata.usgs.gov/",
"name": "U.S. Geological Survey",
"roles": [
"producer"
],
"description": "Water Data for the Nation (WDFN)"
}
],
"description": "USGS stage-discharge rating curves. Includes base ratings, corrections, and expanded stage data for streamflow monitoring sites across the United States.",
"item_assets": {
"data": {
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"description": "Tab-delimited rating data"
}
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
}
This object provides a title and description for the collection, the version of the STAC standard it uses and other metadata that describes the data set as a whole.
The collection object also links to its "items" page, with a link "rel" of "items". This page lists a number of STAC items (by default 10, by passing the limit argument you can get up to 10000). Unlike the OGC APIs, this items page is not the primary query interface for the STAC API.
STAC Items
Last but not least, each collection contains multiple STAC items. A STAC item contains the metadata that describes a single file in the broader collection. For instance, while the collection has a "bbox" describing the spatial extent of the entire data set, an item's "bbox" will reflect just the data linked from the item.
An example STAC item from the ratings collection might look like this:
{
"id": "USGS-12449500.exsa.rdb",
"bbox": [-120.116191668067, 48.3651450711904, -120.116191668067, 48.3651450711904],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-12449500.exsa.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-12449500.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-12449500.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.12449500.exsa.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 20775,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 12449500"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-120.116191668067, 48.3651450711904]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-04-02T04:20:02Z",
"file_type": "exsa",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-12449500",
"monitoring_location_number": "12449500"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
}
This object should look generally familiar if you've interacted with the Water Data OGC APIs previously. In addition to the top-level metadata fields, the "properties" dictionary contains metadata specific to the items in each collection -- for instance, in the ratings collection each item will have a "file_type" property indicating what type of rating curve the file represents.
The biggest difference about these objects is the "assets" dictionary, which contains links to all of the actual data the item's metadata describes. For the ratings collection, the only asset present is "data", which contains a link (always named "href") to the rating curve file. Some collections might have many assets -- for instance, a data set that's published as both CSV and Parquet would list each format as a separate asset within the same STAC item. You'll need to examine the asset title and description to determine which assets you want to download.
Unlike the OGC APIs, the data associated with each item aren't automatically returned when you download the item. Instead, the asset links will tell you where the data is saved and how you can download it.
Querying the APIs
Also unlike the OGC APIs, queries to the STAC APIs don't go through each collection's items URL. Instead, all queries to the STAC API begin at https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search.
This means that, by default, queries will search across all collections that are served by the STAC API. This can make it easy to, for instance, find all the data available that relates to a given monitoring location or spatial extent, but does mean a single request might return multiple unrelated types of data.
To specify you want data from a single collection, use the collection query argument. For instance, the query https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search?collection=ratings will only return data from the "ratings" collection.
There are a few other top-level query parameters that can be useful:
bboxandintersectsallow you to make spatial queries, returning all the data that falls within a given bounding box (forbbox) or more complex geometry (intersects)datetimelets you make temporal queries, returning data that matches a timestamp or falls within an interval. Dates are specified following RFC3339; examples include:- A date-time: "2018-02-12T23:20:50Z"
- A bounded interval: "2018-02-12T00:00:00Z/2018-03-18T12:31:12Z"
- A half-bounded interval: "2018-02-12T00:00:00Z/.." or "../2018-03-18T12:31:12Z"
limitcontrols how many results can be returned by a query. By default, 10 results are returned, but you can set this to any value up to 10000.
You also can query the properties of STAC items using the filter argument. For instance, to get ratings files for a single monitoring location, we can query the ratings collection using the monitoring_location_id field:
https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search?collection=ratings&filter=monitoring_location_id=USGS-10318500
This request returns all of the items in the ratings collection for this location:
{
"type": "FeatureCollection",
"links": [
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search"
}
],
"features": [
{
"id": "USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb",
"bbox": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556, -115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10318500.exsa.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 29637,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 10318500"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-03-30T19:50:02Z",
"file_type": "exsa",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10318500",
"monitoring_location_number": "10318500"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
},
{
"id": "USGS-10318500.corr.rdb",
"bbox": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556, -115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.corr.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "EXSA rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10318500.corr.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 26620,
"description": "EXPANDED STAGE DATA CORRECTIONS for site 10318500"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-03-30T19:50:02Z",
"file_type": "corr",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10318500",
"monitoring_location_number": "10318500"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
},
{
"id": "USGS-10318500.base.rdb",
"bbox": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556, -115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.base.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "EXSA rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10318500.base.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 1777,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 10318500"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-03-30T19:50:02Z",
"file_type": "base",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10318500",
"monitoring_location_number": "10318500"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
}
],
"numberReturned": 3
}
We could query for multiple sites in a single request by using the IN operator instead of =:
https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search?collection=ratings&filter=monitoring_location_id IN ('USGS-10318500', 'USGS-10141000')
If you copy this full URL and paste it into a browser, the quotes and spaces will automatically be URL-encoded, making the URL look like:
https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search?collection=ratings&filter=monitoring_location_id%20IN%20(%27USGS-10318500%27,%20%27USGS-10141000%27)
Both of these URLs will return the same set of ratings files for the two locations:
{
"type": "FeatureCollection",
"links": [
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search"
}
],
"features": [
{
"id": "USGS-10141000.exsa.rdb",
"bbox": [-112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475, -112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.exsa.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10141000.exsa.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 40933,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 10141000"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-04-23T20:10:02Z",
"file_type": "exsa",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10141000",
"monitoring_location_number": "10141000"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
},
{
"id": "USGS-10141000.corr.rdb",
"bbox": [-112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475, -112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.corr.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.exsa.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "EXSA rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10141000.corr.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 34437,
"description": "EXPANDED STAGE DATA CORRECTIONS for site 10141000"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-04-23T20:10:02Z",
"file_type": "corr",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10141000",
"monitoring_location_number": "10141000"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
},
{
"id": "USGS-10141000.base.rdb",
"bbox": [-112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475, -112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.base.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.exsa.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "EXSA rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10141000.base.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 1681,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 10141000"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-04-23T20:10:02Z",
"file_type": "base",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10141000",
"monitoring_location_number": "10141000"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
},
{
"id": "USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb",
"bbox": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556, -115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10318500.exsa.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 29637,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 10318500"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-03-30T19:50:02Z",
"file_type": "exsa",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10318500",
"monitoring_location_number": "10318500"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
},
{
"id": "USGS-10318500.corr.rdb",
"bbox": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556, -115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.corr.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "EXSA rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10318500.corr.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 26620,
"description": "EXPANDED STAGE DATA CORRECTIONS for site 10318500"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-03-30T19:50:02Z",
"file_type": "corr",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10318500",
"monitoring_location_number": "10318500"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
},
{
"id": "USGS-10318500.base.rdb",
"bbox": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556, -115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.base.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "EXSA rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10318500.base.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 1777,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 10318500"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-03-30T19:50:02Z",
"file_type": "base",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10318500",
"monitoring_location_number": "10318500"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
}
],
"numberReturned": 6
}
We can additionally query using multiple fields at once by using the AND operator. For instance, if we only wanted exsa ratings files, we could filter using the file_type field:
https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search?collection=ratings&filter=monitoring_location_id IN ('USGS-10318500', 'USGS-10141000') AND file_type='exsa'
That query will return only the exsa files for these two sites:
{
"type": "FeatureCollection",
"links": [
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/search"
}
],
"features": [
{
"id": "USGS-10141000.exsa.rdb",
"bbox": [-112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475, -112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.exsa.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10141000.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10141000.exsa.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 40933,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 10141000"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-112.091886639864, 41.2782765412475]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-04-23T20:10:02Z",
"file_type": "exsa",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10141000",
"monitoring_location_number": "10141000"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
},
{
"id": "USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb",
"bbox": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556, -115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556],
"type": "Feature",
"links": [
{
"rel": "collection",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "parent",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings"
},
{
"rel": "root",
"type": "application/json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/"
},
{
"rel": "self",
"type": "application/geo+json",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.exsa.rdb"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.base.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "BASE rating"
},
{
"rel": "alternate",
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac/v0/collections/ratings/items/USGS-10318500.corr.rdb",
"type": "application/json",
"title": "CORR rating"
}
],
"assets": {
"data": {
"href": "https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/stac-files/ratings/USGS.10318500.exsa.rdb",
"type": "text/plain",
"roles": [
"data"
],
"title": "Rating File",
"file:size": 29637,
"description": "USGS RATING for site 10318500"
}
},
"geometry": {
"type": "Point",
"coordinates": [-115.624166666667, 40.9365555555556]
},
"collection": "ratings",
"properties": {
"datetime": "2026-03-30T19:50:02Z",
"file_type": "exsa",
"agency_code": "USGS",
"monitoring_location_id": "USGS-10318500",
"monitoring_location_number": "10318500"
},
"stac_version": "1.1.0"
}
],
"numberReturned": 2
}