How to hit the USGS Water Services API

USGS Water Services at https://waterservices.usgs.gov/nwis reports real-time readings from thousands of US streamgages. 09380000 is the Colorado River at Lees Ferry; parameter 00060 is discharge in cubic feet per second.

Authentication

None — no key, no signup. Every example runs as-is.

Full reference: https://waterservices.usgs.gov/docs/instantaneous-values/

Current streamflow

curl "https://waterservices.usgs.gov/nwis/iv/?format=json&sites=09380000&parameterCd=00060"
Run in PostTaco
Example response (trimmed) 
{
  "name": "ns1:timeSeriesResponseType",
  "declaredType": "org.cuahsi.waterml.TimeSeriesResponseType",
  "scope": "javax.xml.bind.JAXBElement$GlobalScope",
  "value": {
    "queryInfo": {
      "queryURL": "http://waterservices.usgs.gov/nwis/iv/format=json&sites=09380000&parameterCd=00060",
      "criteria": {
        "locationParam": "[ALL:09380000]",
        "variableParam": "[00060]",
        "parameter": []
      },
      "note": [
        {
          "value": "[ALL:09380000]",
          "title": "filter:sites"
        },
        {
          "value": "[mode=LATEST, modifiedSince=null]",
          "title": "filter:timeRange"
        }
      ]
    },
    "timeSeries": [
      {
        "sourceInfo": {
          "siteName": "COLORADO RIVER AT LEES FERRY, AZ"
        },
        "variable": {
          "variableName": "Streamflow, ft³/s",
          "variableDescription": "Discharge, cubic feet per second",
          "valueType": "Derived Value",
          "noDataValue": -999999,
          "oid": "45807197"
        },
        "values": [],
        "name": "USGS:09380000:00060:00000"
      }
    ]
  },
  "nil": false,
  "globalScope": true,
  "typeSubstituted": false
}