Key:shef:location_id

shef:location_id=* is a unique identifier for a known location in the Standard Hydrometeorological Exchange Format (SHEF), a specification by the United States  National Weather Service. Generally these locations are weather or water observation sites tagged as man_made=monitoring_station.

Usefulness

Different operators typically have their own internal ID numbering system for their water monitoring networks. SHEF codes are often secondary IDs that can identify a sites among multiple networks, while primary IDs assigned by the operator=* are placed in the ref=* tag.

For example, the NOAA CO-OPS station 9410230 is listed with SHEF LJAC1 at the National Data Buoy Center. Likewise, USGS gage 01473500 is listed with SHEF NRSP1 by the National Water Prediction Service.