River flows by text — Garmin InReach satellite today, SMS soon

LateBoof Text flow@lateboof.com from your InReach — flow comes back over satellite Oracle GaugeDirectory + Contact

Why this exists

Whitewater kayakers headed to remote put-ins often have no cell signal, but many already carry a satellite messenger (Garmin InReach) for safety. LateBoof turns that device into a river-flow lookup: send a run name, get the current flow back over satellite in seconds — no cell signal, and nothing to install.

Set it up once

  1. Save flow@lateboof.com as a contact — scan the QR or download the vCard from the + CONTACT button on the gauge directory.
  2. Add that same address as a contact on your InReach (Garmin Explore app or MapShare), so it's quick to message from the river instead of typing it out on a satellite keyboard.
  3. Send yourself a test message now — e.g. mf salmon — while you're still in cell range, so you know it works before you need it out on the river.

Use it on the river

Message any run name to flow@lateboof.com — e.g. mf salmon, grand canyon, stikine. Case doesn't matter, but spelling does: it matches against a curated list of run names, or a raw USGS/WSC station ID. See the exact names to use under "Text this" on the gauge directory.

A reply comes back over the same satellite link your message went out on — no cell signal needed either way:

Example replyMiddle Fork Salmon, At MF Lodge, ID USGS 13309220 2,800 cfs / 4.21 ft 16:45 Jun 27

If something goes wrong

Every message gets a reply — never silence, so you're never left wondering if it went through:

  1. Not found — the name didn't match anything. Check spelling, or browse the exact names on the gauge directory.
  2. Couldn't reach gauge data — the upstream source (USGS, WSC, Dreamflows) is temporarily down. Try again in a few minutes.

Coverage

US rivers via USGS, plus Dreamflows for the California Class V runs, Canadian rivers via Water Survey of Canada, and a couple of New Zealand gauges. See the status page for source details. This works over Garmin InReach-style satellite email today — not iPhone satellite SMS.

SMS from any phone — launching soon

The same bot is coming to a toll-free number: text a river name from a regular phone — no app, no account, one bar of signal and no data needed. Carrier verification is in progress. Read the SMS program terms or join the alert list there to hear when it goes live.