# water_levels

Return the latest observed water level from a NOAA Tides & Currents (CO-OPS) station using the keyless public API - U.S. Government public-domain data. Give either a NOAA station id or a lat/lon (the nearest station is chosen automatically). Returns the observed water level relative to the chosen datum (default MLLW), the observation time in local station time, and the sample standard deviation when reported. Use it to check current real-world water level versus prediction.

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `water_levels`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/water-levels

## Facts

- Tool: `water_levels`
- Server: Livedatalink (`https://livedatalink.ai/mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink.md
- Homepage: https://github.com/blackboxfoundry/livedatalink
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server CORS policy: *
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 5
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `lat` | number | no | Latitude in decimal degrees. Used with lon to pick the nearest station when no station id is given. |
| `lon` | number | no | Longitude in decimal degrees (negative west). |
| `datum` | string | no | Tidal datum: MLLW, MSL, MHW, etc. Default MLLW. |
| `units` | string | no | 'english' (feet) or 'metric' (meters). Default english. |
| `station` | string | no | NOAA CO-OPS station id, e.g. '9414290'. Optional if lat and lon are given. |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "water_levels",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why water_levels is rated Low

Even though water_levels only reads data, uncontrolled read access leaks sensitive information and racks up API costs: an agent caught in a retry loop can make thousands of calls a minute without anyone noticing.

## Use case

AI agents call water_levels to retrieve information from Livedatalink without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Livedatalink:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "water_levels": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on Livedatalink (289)

- `beneficial_owner_screen` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/beneficial-owner-screen.md
- `clinical_site_selector` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/clinical-site-selector.md
- `edgar_recent_filings` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/edgar-recent-filings.md
- `entity_dossier` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/entity-dossier.md
- `patent_recent` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/patent-recent.md
- `trials_details` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/trials-details.md
- `air_quality` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/air-quality.md
- `bank_health_report` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/bank-health-report.md
- `bls_indicator` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/bls-indicator.md
- `bls_series` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/bls-series.md
- `book_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-details.md
- `book_fulltext_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-fulltext-search.md
- `book_get_text` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-get-text.md
- `book_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-search.md
- `book_status` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/book-status.md
- `bounce_scanner` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/bounce-scanner.md
- `candlestick_signals` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/candlestick-signals.md
- `cargo_crate` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cargo-crate.md
- `carrier_monitor_recheck` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/carrier-monitor-recheck.md
- `carrier_vetting_batch` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/carrier-vetting-batch.md
- `carrier_vetting_score` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/carrier-vetting-score.md
- `caselaw_case_details` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/caselaw-case-details.md
- `caselaw_citation_lookup` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/caselaw-citation-lookup.md
- `caselaw_opinion_text` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/caselaw-opinion-text.md
- `caselaw_search` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/caselaw-search.md
- `cdc_dataset_query` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-dataset-query.md
- `cdc_drug_overdose_deaths` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-drug-overdose-deaths.md
- `cdc_excess_deaths_covid` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-excess-deaths-covid.md
- `cdc_flu_surveillance` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-flu-surveillance.md
- `cdc_leading_causes_of_death` — Read — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink/cdc-leading-causes-of-death.md
- …and 259 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/io-github-blackboxfoundry-livedatalink