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fws-wetlands-proximity-screener

Screen any US site by latitude and longitude for nearby National Wetlands Inventory polygons, Cowardin codes, acreage, and a Section 404 dredge-and-fill risk flag.

Instructions

USFWS Wetlands Proximity Screener - Section 404 Site Risk API. Wetland due-diligence API for site selection: per lat/lon site, wetland presence within radius, Cowardin classification codes/systems, wetland types, total acreage nearby and a Section 404 dredge-and-fill screening flag. USFWS National Wetlands Inventory open data. CHOOSE THIS for National Wetlands Inventory polygons and their decode columns within a radius. It does NOT answer Clean Water Act §404 jurisdiction — for surface-water features and relative permanence use nhd-surface-water-404-screener. The two are usually needed together. Reads live from the official government source. Call describe-gov-data-tool (free) for a verified example input. COST AND SIDE EFFECTS: read-only with respect to the government source — it never writes to any external system — but each call starts a metered run on YOUR Apify account, billed $0.008 per result ($8 per 1,000). Lower on paid Apify plans, down to $2.40 per 1,000. Nothing is charged when a run fails. Store page: https://apify.com/malonestar/fws-wetlands-proximity-screener

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
assetsYesSites to screen for wetlands. Each entry is an object { "lat": number, "lon": number, "label": "optional name" }. Also accepts "lat,lon" strings or [lat, lon] arrays. One dataset row (one billed result) is produced per asset, even when no wetland is found; a bad entry yields an ERROR row and the run continues. Example: [{"lat":36.3736,"lon":-89.385,"label":"Reelfoot Lake, TN - site inside a mapped lake"},{"lat":35.2216,"lon":-75.6913,"label":"Cape Hatteras, NC - estuarine tidal marsh"},{"lat":45.8918,"lon":-123.9615,"label":"Cannon Beach, OR - marine shoreline"},{"lat":47.5,"lon":-99,"label":"Prairie pothole, ND - farmed and drained wetlands"},{"lat":39.7392,"lon":-104.9903,"label":"Denver, CO - urban infill, n…(truncated).
maxResultsNoMaximum number of assets processed in one run (1-2000). One result row is emitted (and billed) per asset. Default 500. Applied by default if omitted: 500.
radiusMetersNoRadius around each asset used for the wetland-presence check, in meters (10-5000). Screened as a TRUE circle. Default 300 (~984 ft, roughly a parcel-scale buffer). Example: 300.
computeNearestDistanceNoWhen on (default), the actor measures the true distance and bearing to the nearest NWI wetland polygon instead of reporting a largest-acreage proxy. Costs up to ~10 small extra requests per site. Turn off for very large batches; nearest_wetland_* then falls back to the largest-acreage feature and nearest_basis says so. Example: true.
nearestSearchRadiusMetersNoHow far out to look for the nearest wetland, in meters (up to 8000). Independent of the screening radius, so a site can correctly read 'no wetland within 300 m' and still report the closest one 1,391 m away. Default 1609 (1 mile). Raised automatically to at least the screening radius. Example: 1609.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. First observedv1.0.2

TDQS

A4.5/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Goes well beyond the annotations by disclosing that each call starts a metered Apify run, the exact per-result price and plan-dependent discounts, that failed runs are not charged, and that the tool never writes to any external system. The readOnlyHint=false annotation is consistent with billing a run to the caller's account, so no contradiction.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads purpose, then the sibling routing, then cost/side effects in clearly labeled blocks. Slightly padded by the pricing breakdown and store-page URL, but for a metered paid tool those details earn most of their space.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With no output schema, the description still names the return fields (wetland presence, Cowardin systems, types, acreage, 404 flag) and covers cost, side effects, and alternatives. Given five fully-described parameters and one required field, an agent has nearly everything needed, though error-row behavior is only in the schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and every parameter (assets, maxResults, radiusMeters, computeNearestDistance, nearestSearchRadiusMeters) is already fully documented with ranges, defaults, and examples in the schema. The description implies radius-based screening and nearest-distance behavior but adds no syntax or semantics the schema lacks, so the baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb+resource+scope: per lat/lon site, wetland presence within radius, Cowardin codes, acreage, and a Section 404 screening flag. It explicitly distinguishes itself from the sibling nhd-surface-water-404-screener, so an agent can route without opening either schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives an explicit chooser line ('CHOOSE THIS for National Wetlands Inventory polygons'), states what it does NOT answer (CWA §404 jurisdiction) and names the alternative tool for that case, plus notes the two are usually needed together and points to describe-gov-data-tool for a verified example.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.