hydrodataset 0.2.4
A Python package for downloading and reading hydrological datasets
License: MIT
Requires Python: >=3.10
Keywords: datasets, hydrodataset, hydrology, water

# hydrodataset

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**A Python package for accessing hydrological datasets with a unified API, optimized for deep learning workflows.**

- 🌊 **Unified Interface**: Consistent API across 20+ hydrological datasets
- ⚡ **Fast Access**: NetCDF caching for instant data loading
- 🎯 **Standardized Variables**: Common naming across all datasets
- 🔗 **Built on AquaFetch**: Powered by the comprehensive [AquaFetch](https://github.com/hyex-research/AquaFetch) backend
- 📊 **ML-Ready**: Optimized for integration with [torchhydro](https://github.com/OuyangWenyu/torchhydro)

---


## Table of Contents

- [Core Philosophy](#core-philosophy)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Supported Datasets](#supported-datasets)
- [Key Features](#key-features)
- [Project Status](#project-status)
- [Credits](#credits)

## Core Philosophy

This library has been redesigned to serve as a powerful data-adapting layer on top of the [AquaFetch](https://github.com/hyex-research/AquaFetch) package.

While `AquaFetch` handles the complexities of downloading and reading numerous public hydrological datasets, `hydrodataset` takes the next step: it standardizes this data into a clean, consistent NetCDF (`.nc`) format. This format is specifically optimized for seamless integration with hydrological modeling libraries like [torchhydro](https://github.com/OuyangWenyu/torchhydro).

The core workflow is:
1.  **Fetch**: Use a `hydrodataset` class for a specific dataset (e.g., `CamelsAus`).
2.  **Standardize**: It uses `AquaFetch` as the primary backend for fetching raw data, while maintaining a consistent, unified interface across all datasets.
3.  **Cache**: On the first run, `hydrodataset` processes the data into an `xarray.Dataset` and saves it as `.nc` files for timeseries and attributes separately in a specified local directory set in `hydro_setting.yml` in the user's home directory.
4.  **Access**: All subsequent data requests are read directly from the fast `.nc` cache, giving you analysis-ready data instantly.

## Installation

We strongly recommend using a virtual environment to manage dependencies.

### Using uv (Recommended)

We recommend using [uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv) for fast, reliable package and environment management:

```bash
# Install uv if you haven't already
pip install uv

# Install hydrodataset with uv
uv pip install hydrodataset
```

For more advanced usage or to work on the project locally:

```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/OuyangWenyu/hydrodataset.git
cd hydrodataset

# Create virtual environment and install all dependencies
uv sync --all-extras
```

The `--all-extras` flag installs base dependencies plus all optional dependencies for development and documentation.

### Using pip (Alternative)

If you prefer traditional pip:

```bash
# Create and activate a virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate

# Install the package
pip install hydrodataset
```

## Quick Start

The primary goal of `hydrodataset` is to provide a simple, unified API for accessing various hydrological datasets. Here's a complete example showing the core workflow:

> **⚠️ Important Note on First-Time Data Download**
>
> ***If you haven't pre-downloaded the datasets, the first access will trigger automatic downloads via AquaFetch, which can take considerable time depending on dataset size:***
>
> - **Small datasets** (< 1GB, e.g., CAMELS-CL, CAMELS-COL): ~10-30 minutes
> - **Medium datasets** (1-5GB, e.g., CAMELS-AUS, CAMELS-BR): ~30 minutes to 1 hour
> - **Large datasets** (10-20GB, e.g., CAMELS-US, LamaH-CE): ~1-3 hours
> - **Very large datasets** (> 30GB, e.g., HYSETS): ~3-6 hours or more
>
> Download times vary based on your internet connection speed and server availability.
>
> ***We strongly recommend downloading datasets manually during off-peak hours if possible.***
>
> After the initial download, all subsequent access will be fast thanks to NetCDF caching.

### Basic Example

```python
from hydrodataset.camels_us import CamelsUs
from hydrodataset import SETTING
import os

# All datasets are expected to be in the directory defined in your hydro_setting.yml
# A example of hydro_setting.yml in Windows is like this:
# local_data_path:
#   root: 'D:\data\waterism' # Update with your root data directory
#   datasets-origin: 'D:\data\waterism\datasets-origin'
#   cache: 'D:\data\waterism\cache'
data_path = SETTING["local_data_path"]["datasets-origin"]

# Initialize the dataset class
ds = CamelsUs(data_path)

# 1. Check which features are available
print("Available static features:")
print(ds.available_static_features)

print("Available dynamic features:")
print(ds.available_dynamic_features)

# 2. Get a list of all basin IDs
basin_ids = ds.read_object_ids()

# 3. Read static (attribute) data for a subset of basins
# Note: We use standardized names like 'area' and 'p_mean'
attr_data = ds.read_attr_xrdataset(
    gage_id_lst=basin_ids[:2],
    var_lst=["area", "p_mean"]
)
print("Static attribute data:")
print(attr_data)

# 4. Read dynamic (time-series) data for the same basins
# Note: We use standardized names like 'streamflow' and 'precipitation'
ts_data = ds.read_ts_xrdataset(
    gage_id_lst=basin_ids[:2],
    t_range=["1990-01-01", "1995-12-31"],
    var_lst=["streamflow", "precipitation"]
)
print("Time-series data:")
print(ts_data)
```

### Standardized Variable Names

A key feature of the new architecture is the use of standardized variable names. This allows you to use the same variable name to fetch the same type of data across different datasets, without needing to know the specific, internal naming scheme of each one.

For example, you can get streamflow from both CAMELS-US and CAMELS-AUS using the same variable name:

```python
# Get streamflow from CAMELS-US
us_ds.read_ts_xrdataset(gage_id_lst=["01013500"], var_lst=["streamflow"], t_range=["1990-01-01", "1995-12-31"])

# Get streamflow from CAMELS-AUS
aus_ds.read_ts_xrdataset(gage_id_lst=["A4260522"], var_lst=["streamflow"], t_range=["1990-01-01", "1995-12-31"])
```

Similarly, you can use `precipitation`, `temperature_max`, etc., across datasets. A comprehensive list of these standardized names and their coverage across all datasets is in progress and will be published soon.

## Supported Datasets

hydrodataset currently provides unified access to **27 hydrological datasets** across the globe. Below is a summary of all supported datasets:

| Dataset Name | Paper | Temporal Resolution | Data Version | Region | Basins | Time Span | Release Date | Size |
|-------------|-------|---------------------|--------------|---------|---------|-----------|--------------|------|
| BULL | [Paper](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-03594-5) / [Code](https://github.com/UW-Hydro/VIC/tree/support/VIC.4.2.d) | Daily | [Version 3](https://zenodo.org/records/10844207) (code) / [Version 2](https://zenodo.org/records/10629809) (data) | Spain | 484 | 1951-01-02 to 2021-12-31 | 2024-03-10 | 2.2G |
| CAMELS-AUS | [Paper (V1)](https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/3847/2021/) / [Paper (V2)](https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2024-263/) | Daily | [Version 1](https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.921850?format=html#download) / [Version 2](https://zenodo.org/records/14289037) | Australia | 561 | 1950-01-01 to 2022-03-31 | 2024-12 | 2.1G |
| CAMELS-BR | [Paper](https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2075-2020) | Daily | [Version 1.2](https://zenodo.org/records/15025488) / [Version 1.1](https://zenodo.org/records/3964745#.YA6rUxZS-Uk) | Brazil | 897 | 1980-01-01 to 2024-10-22 | 2025-03-21 | 1.4G |
| CAMELS-CH | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/15/5755/2023/) | Daily | [Version 0.9](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7784632) / [Version 0.6](https://zenodo.org/records/7957061) | Switzerland | 331 | 1981-01-01 to 2020-12-31 | 2025-03-14 | 793.1M |
| CAMELS-CL | [Paper](https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/22/5817/2018) | Daily | [Dataset](https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.894885) | Chile | 516 | 1913-02-15 to 2018-03-09 | 2018-09-28 | 208M |
| CAMELS-COL | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2025-200/) | Daily | [Version 2](https://zenodo.org/records/15554735) | Colombia | 347 | 1981-05 to 2022-12 | 2025-05 | 80.9M |
| CAMELS-DE | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2024-318/) | Daily | [Version 1.1](https://zenodo.org/records/16755906) / [Version 0.1](https://zenodo.org/records/12733968) | Germany | 1582 | 1951-01-01 to 2020-12-31 | 2025-08-07 | 2.2G |
| CAMELS-DK | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2024-292/) | Daily | [Version 6.0](https://dataverse.geus.dk/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi%3A10.22008%2FFK2%2FAZXSYP&fileAccess=Public) | Denmark | 304 | 1989-01-02 to 2023-12-31 | 2025-02-14 | 1.41G |
| CAMELS-FI | [Meeting](https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-18296.html?pdf) | Yearly/Daily | [Version 1.0.1](https://zenodo.org/records/16257216) | Finland | 320 | 1961-01-01 to 2023-12-31 | 2025-07 | 382M |
| CAMELS-FR | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/17/1461/2025/essd-17-1461-2025.html) | Daily/Monthly/Yearly | [Version 3.2](https://entrepot.recherche.data.gouv.fr/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.57745/WH7FJR&version=3.2) / [Version 3](https://entrepot.recherche.data.gouv.fr/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.57745/WH7FJR) | France | 654 | 1970-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | 2025-08-12 | 364M |
| CAMELS-GB | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/12/2459/2020/) | Daily | [Dataset](https://doi.org/10.5285/8344e4f3-d2ea-44f5-8afa-86d2987543a9) | United Kingdom | 671 | 1970-10-01 to 2015-09-30 | 2025-05 (new data link) | 244M |
| CAMELS-IND | [Paper](https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-461-2025) | Daily | [Version 2.2](https://zenodo.org/records/14999580) | India | 472 (242 sufficient flow) | 1980-01-01 to 2020-12-31 | 2025-03-13 | 529.4M |
| CAMELS-LUX | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2024-482/) | Hourly/Daily | [Version 1.1](https://zenodo.org/records/14910359) | Luxembourg | 56 | 2004-11-01 to 2021-10-31 | 2024-09-27 | 1.4G |
| CAMELS-NZ | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2025-244/) | Hourly/Daily | [Version 2](https://figshare.canterbury.ac.nz/articles/dataset/CAMELS-NZ_Hydrometeorological_time_series_and_landscape_attributes_for_Aotearoa_New_Zealand/28827644) / [Version 1](https://figshare.canterbury.ac.nz/articles/dataset/CAMELS-NZ_Hydrometeorological_time_series_and_landscape_attributes_for_Aotearoa_New_Zealand/28827644/1) | New Zealand | 369 | 1972-01-01 to 2024-08-02 | 2025-08-05 | 4.81G |
| CAMELS-SE | [Paper](https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/gdj3.239) | Daily | [Version 1](https://snd.se/sv/catalogue/dataset/2023-173/1) | Sweden | 50 | 1961-2020 | 2024-02 | 16.19M |
| CAMELS-US | [Paper](https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/21/5293/2017/) | Daily | [Version 1.2](https://zenodo.org/records/15529996) | United States | 671 | 1980-2014 | 2022-06-24 | 14.6G |
| CAMELSH-KR | - | Hourly | [Version 1](https://zenodo.org/records/15073264) | South Korea | 178 | 2000-2019 | 2025-03-23 | 3.1G |
| CAMELSH | [Paper](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-025-05612-6) | Hourly | [Version 6](https://zenodo.org/records/16729675) + [3](https://zenodo.org/records/15070091) + [2](https://zenodo.org/records/15066778) | United States | 9008 | 1980-2024 | 2025-08-14 | 4.2G+3.57G+2.18G |
| Caravan-DK | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/17/1551/2025/essd-17-1551-2025-discussion.html) | Daily | [Version 7](https://zenodo.org/records/15200118) / [Version 5](https://zenodo.org/records/7962379) | Denmark | 308 | 1981-01-02 to 2020-12-31 | 2025-04-11 | 521.6M |
| Caravan | [Paper](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-023-01975-w) / [Code](https://github.com/kratzert/Caravan/) | Daily | [Version 1.6](https://zenodo.org/records/15529786) | Global | 16299 | 1950-2023 | 2025-05 | 24.8G |
| EStream | [Paper](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-024-03706-1) / [Code](https://github.com/thiagovmdon/EStreams) | Daily (weekly, monthly, yearly available) | [Version 1.3](https://zenodo.org/records/15756335) / [Version 1.1](https://zenodo.org/records/13961394) | Europe | 17130 | 1950-01-01 to 2023-06-30 | 2025-06-30 | 12.3G |
| GRDC-Caravan | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/preprints/essd-2024-427/) | Daily | [Version 0.6](https://zenodo.org/records/15349031) / [Version 0.2](https://zenodo.org/records/10074416) | Global | 5357 | 1950-2023 | 2025-05-06 | 16.4G |
| HYPE | [Paper](https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/26/975/2022/) (draft) | Daily/Monthly/Yearly | [Version 1.1](https://zenodo.org/records/7373234) | Costa Rica | 605 | 1985-01-01 to 2019-12-31 | 2020-09-14 | 616.5M |
| HYSETS | [Paper](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-020-00583-2) / [Code](https://github.com/dankovacek/hysets_validation) | Daily | [Dataset](https://osf.io/rpc3w/files) (dynamic attributes) | North America | 14425 | 1950-01-01 to 2023-12-31 | 2024-09 | 41.9G |
| LamaH-CE | [Paper](https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4529-2021) | Daily/Hourly | [Version 1.0](https://zenodo.org/records/5153305) | Central Europe | 859 | 1981-01-01 to 2019-12-31 | 2021-08-02 | 16.3G |
| LamaH-Ice | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/16/2741/2024/) | Daily/Hourly | [Version 1.5](https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/705d69c0f77c48538d83cf383f8c63d6/) / [old version](https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/86117a5f36cc4b7c90a5d54e18161c91/) | Iceland | 111 | 1950-01-01 to 2021-12-31 | 2025-08-12 | 9.6G |
| Simbi | [Paper](https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/16/2073/2024/) | Daily/Monthly | [Version 6.0](https://dataverse.ird.fr/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.23708/02POK6) | Haiti | 24 | 1920-01-01 to 2005-12-31 | 2024-07-02 | 125M |
>

## Key Features

### 🎯 Unified API Across All Datasets

Access any dataset using the same method calls:
```python
# Same API works for all datasets
ds.read_object_ids()                          # Get basin IDs
ds.read_attr_xrdataset(...)                   # Read attributes
ds.read_ts_xrdataset(...)                     # Read timeseries
```

### ⚡ Fast NetCDF Caching

First access processes and caches data as NetCDF files. All subsequent reads are instant:
- Timeseries data: `{dataset}_timeseries.nc`
- Attribute data: `{dataset}_attributes.nc`
- Configured via `~/hydro_setting.yml`

### 🔄 Standardized Variable Names

Use common names across all datasets:
- `streamflow` - River discharge
- `precipitation` - Rainfall
- `temperature_max` / `temperature_min` - Temperature extremes
- `potential_evapotranspiration` - PET
- And many more...

### 📊 xarray Integration

All data returned as `xarray.Dataset` objects:
- Labeled dimensions and coordinates
- Built-in metadata and units
- Easy slicing, selection, and computation
- Compatible with Dask for large datasets


## Project Status & Future Work

The new, unified API architecture is currently in active development.

*   **Current Implementation**: hydrodataset provides access to **27 hydrological datasets** (see the [Supported Datasets](#supported-datasets) table above). The new unified architecture based on the `HydroDataset` base class has been fully implemented and tested for **`camels_us`** and **`camels_aus`** datasets, which serve as reference implementations.
*   **In Progress**: We are in the process of migrating all other datasets supported by the library to this new architecture.
*   **Release Schedule**: We plan to release new versions frequently in the short term as more datasets are integrated. Please check back for updates.

## Credits

This package was created with [Cookiecutter](https://github.com/cookiecutter/cookiecutter) and the [giswqs/pypackage](https://github.com/giswqs/pypackage) project template. The data fetching and reading is now powered by [AquaFetch](https://github.com/hyex-research/AquaFetch).