From 7c66421ed902a5454de952c2b4b83def6ece2f69 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Elise Hinman <ehinman@usgs.gov>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:09:17 -0600
Subject: [PATCH] add row ordering by time and site and move frivolous id
 columns to end of df

---
 dataretrieval/waterdata/utils.py | 52 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 tests/waterdata_test.py          |  4 ++-
 2 files changed, 53 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/dataretrieval/waterdata/utils.py b/dataretrieval/waterdata/utils.py
index 1bcc58a..46d58b6 100644
--- a/dataretrieval/waterdata/utils.py
+++ b/dataretrieval/waterdata/utils.py
@@ -662,9 +662,24 @@ def _arrange_cols(
                 plural = output_id.replace("_id", "s_id")
                 if plural in properties:
                     df = df.rename(columns={"id": plural})
-        return df.loc[:, [col for col in properties if col in df.columns]]
+        df = df.loc[:, [col for col in properties if col in df.columns]]
     else:
-        return df.rename(columns={"id": output_id})
+        df = df.rename(columns={"id": output_id})
+    
+    # Move meaningless-to-user, extra id columns to the end
+    # of the dataframe, if they exist
+    extra_id_cols = set(df.columns).intersection({
+        "latest_continuous_id",
+        "latest_daily_id",
+        "daily_id",
+        "continuous_id",
+        "field_measurement_id"
+        })
+    if extra_id_cols:
+        id_col_order = [col for col in df.columns if col not in extra_id_cols] + list(extra_id_cols)
+        df = df.loc[:, id_col_order]
+    
+    return df
 
 
 def _type_cols(df: pd.DataFrame) -> pd.DataFrame:
@@ -712,6 +727,36 @@ def _type_cols(df: pd.DataFrame) -> pd.DataFrame:
     return df
 
 
+def _sort_rows(df: pd.DataFrame) -> pd.DataFrame:
+    """
+    Sorts rows by 'time' and 'monitoring_location_id' columns if they
+    exist.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    df : pd.DataFrame
+        The input DataFrame containing water data.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    pd.DataFrame
+        The DataFrame with rows ordered by time and site.
+
+    """
+    if "time" in df.columns and "monitoring_location_id" in df.columns:
+        df = df.sort_values(
+            by=["time", "monitoring_location_id"],
+            ignore_index=True
+            )
+    elif "time" in df.columns:
+        df = df.sort_values(
+            by="time",
+            ignore_index=True
+            )
+    
+    return df
+
+
 def get_ogc_data(
     args: Dict[str, Any], output_id: str, service: str
 ) -> Tuple[pd.DataFrame, BaseMetadata]:
@@ -769,7 +814,10 @@ def get_ogc_data(
         return_list = _type_cols(return_list)
 
     return_list = _arrange_cols(return_list, properties, output_id)
+
+    return_list = _sort_rows(return_list)
     # Create metadata object from response
     metadata = BaseMetadata(response)
     return return_list, metadata
 
+
diff --git a/tests/waterdata_test.py b/tests/waterdata_test.py
index 2745d34..096a50a 100755
--- a/tests/waterdata_test.py
+++ b/tests/waterdata_test.py
@@ -122,16 +122,18 @@ def test_get_daily():
     )
     assert "daily_id" in df.columns
     assert "geometry" in df.columns
+    assert df.columns[-1] == "daily_id"
     assert df.shape[1] == 12
     assert df.parameter_code.unique().tolist() == ["00060"]
     assert df.monitoring_location_id.unique().tolist() == ["USGS-05427718"]
     assert df["time"].apply(lambda x: isinstance(x, datetime.date)).all()
+    assert df["time"].iloc[0] < df["time"].iloc[-1]
     assert hasattr(md, 'url')
     assert hasattr(md, 'query_time')
     assert df["value"].dtype == "float64"
 
 def test_get_daily_properties():
-    df, md = get_daily(
+    df,_ = get_daily(
         monitoring_location_id="USGS-05427718",
         parameter_code="00060",
         time="2025-01-01/..",