There are some amazing data sets at this web site. These could be useful for patrons seeking data or faculty looking for free data sets for students to use on class projects.

NASA Global Change Master Directory, Discover Earth Science data and services

The mission of the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) is to enable the scientific community to discover and access Earth science data and services through distributed, integrated information technology systems. The GCMD offers authoring tools to achieve this mission, which conform to international standards. Tools are available to write, directly submit, and directly update metadata records.

You can access real-time water data from the USGS National Water Information System: Web Interface. Data are recorded at 15-60 minute intervals and then transmitted to USGS offices every 1 to 4 hours. During critical events such as flooding and hurricanes, recording and transmission times may be more frequent. Data from real-time sites are relayed to USGS offices via satellite, telephone, and/or radio and are available for viewing within minutes of arrival. Data are collected at approximately 1.5 million sites in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Data available include stream discharge, water levels, precipitation, and components from water-quality monitors.

Drop down menus and a hot linked map are among the features that make finding and using this data easy.