@pipeworx/water-levels
Connect: https://gateway.pipeworx.io/water-levels/mcp · Install: one-click buttons
Tools: 2
Lake and reservoir water levels from satellite radar altimetry — 518 inland water bodies worldwide, 1992 to the present, keyless.
Tools
| Tool | Answers |
|---|---|
water_level | Current and historical level for a named lake, sea or reservoir |
water_level_search | Which water bodies are monitored, by name, country or continent |
What the number means
These are RELATIVE height variations, measured against each lake’s own reference datum from a single satellite fly-over. They are not absolute elevation and not height above sea level.
A Caspian Sea reading of -1.88 means 1.88 m below that lake’s reference, not
below sea level — reporting it as absolute would be wrong by about 28 m for the
Caspian alone. Every response carries measurement_note saying so, and the
per-lake datum where the source states it.
What the readings are good for: direction and magnitude of change. Whether a lake is rising or shrinking, and by how much, is exactly what altimetry answers well.
The host moved
This dataset is universally cited as USDA FAS G-REALM
(ipad.fas.usda.gov). That host now returns 503 on its reservoir pages and 404
on the old per-lake paths. It has moved to NASA GSFC Global Water Monitor,
and the redirect only appears inside the old page’s markup. The filename
convention survived intact — lake000270.10d.2.txt.
Auth
None.
Coverage
Only large water bodies are measurable by radar altimetry; small lakes are not
covered at all. The registry ships with the pack (regenerate with
scripts/ingest-water-levels.ts); the per-lake series are fetched live, so
readings are as current as the source.
Data sources
- NASA GSFC Global Water Monitor — https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/gwm/lake/Index
- Per-lake series —
https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/gwm/timeseries/lake<ID>.10d.2.txt - Missions: TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1/2/3, Sentinel-6A
- Algorithm basis document linked from the index page
Tools
- lake_water_level — Current and historical water level for a named lake, sea or reservoir, measured by satellite radar altimetry. Covers 518 inland water bodies worldwide from 1992 to the present, including the Caspian S
- lake_level_search — Find lakes, seas and reservoirs monitored by satellite altimetry, by name, country or continent. Returns each water body with its target id, country, and whether it is a natural lake or a managed rese
Tools
-
lake_level_search— Find lakes, seas and reservoirs monitored by satellite altimetry, by name, country or continent. Returns each water body with its target id, country, and whether it is a natural lake or a managed rese -
lake_water_level— Current and historical water level for a named lake, sea or reservoir, measured by satellite radar altimetry. Covers 518 inland water bodies worldwide from 1992 to the present, including the Caspian S