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Citations for USGS Water Data

Urgent for you to know:

  • Due to a lapse in government funding, the majority of USGS websites will not be updated except to provide important public safety information. Websites displaying real-time water data will be updated with limited support. For more information please see: www.doi.gov/shutdown.

How should I cite USGS Water Data for the Nation data?

Below are examples of how to cite USGS Water Data for the Nation data in a publication.

The publication year and access date in brackets in the citation should be updated to reflect the date you accessed data and the brackets removed.

USGS Water Data for the Nation websites are updated/published daily, so you can use the current date as the publication date.

In the example for a specific website, the name of the page and information for the specific site you visited should also be updated and the brackets removed.

Example of how to cite USGS Water Data for the Nation in general:

U.S. Geological Survey, [2024], USGS Water Data for the Nation: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database, accessed [April 8, 2024], at https://doi.org/10.5066/F7P55KJN.

Example of how to cite a specific website within USGS Water Data for the Nation:

U.S. Geological Survey, [2024], [USGS 13200000 Mores Creek AB Robie Creek NR Arrowrock Dam ID], in USGS Water Data for the Nation: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database, accessed [April 8, 2024], at https://doi.org/10.5066/F7P55KJN. [Site information directly accessible at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/13200000 .]

Example of how to cite a specific API service with USGS Water Data for the Nation:

U.S. Geological Survey, [2024], U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database, accessed [April 8, 2024], at https://doi.org/10.5066/F7P55KJN. [Data download directly accessible at https://api.waterdata.usgs.gov/ogcapi/v0 .]