Grand Canyon Backcountry & River Alerts: An Emergency Alert System Designed for Satellite Texting Devices

Remember!

Safety is everyone's responsibility in the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon River Alert system is not a substitute for personal awareness and preparedness. Backcountry users must be self-reliant and maintain constant situational awareness to ensure their safety in this challenging environment.

 

Dragon Bravo Fire Watershed Impacts & Flash Flood Warnings

The Dragon Bravo Fire impacted several key North Rim watersheds that drain into the Colorado River, including House Rock Wash, North and South Canyons, Buck Farm Canyon, Nankoweap Creek, Kwagunt Creek, Malgosa, Awatubi, 60-Mile, Clear Creek, Bright Angel Creek (which flows through Phantom Ranch), Crystal Creek, and Tuna Creek.

During monsoon season (July through October) and other heavy rain events, these burned watersheds have an increased risk of flash floods and debris flows. Flash floods can occur up to 10 miles away from a thunderstorm, even when it is not raining at your location. In addition to the sound of roaring water, rising water levels and muddy or debris-filled water are important warning signs that a flash flood may be approaching. Visitors should exercise extreme caution and avoid camping or lingering in washes, side canyons, or low-lying areas when storms are forecast.

Flash Flood Watch: Conditions are favorable for flash flooding, but flooding is not yet occurring or imminent. Stay informed, monitor weather conditions, and be prepared to take action if a warning is issued.

Flash Flood Warning: Flash flooding is occurring, imminent, or highly likely. Take immediate action to move to higher ground and avoid drainages, washes, and streams.

 

NPS/J. Baird

Get real-time alerts for Grand Canyon river emergencies

The Grand Canyon River Alert system, a collaborative effort between the USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), Coconino County Emergency Management (CCEM), the National Weather Service (NWS), and the National Park Service (NPS), has been launched to significantly enhance safety measures for boaters and hikers navigating the Grand Canyon. This system sends critical messages on hazards like extreme weather and flash floods directly to your Garmin, SPOT, or other satellite messaging device.

The system is designed to provide timely alerts on a range of critical incidents including boating hazards, missing persons, dam-related events, extreme weather conditions, and flash floods. These alerts are crucial for the timely communication of risk to individuals in Grand Canyon.

Subscription Details and Support

It is imperative that users register their satellite devices prior to arriving at Lees Ferry to ensure they can receive critical alerts.

To subscribe to the Grand Canyon River Alerts, users can text GCRIVERALERTS to 928-707-7842 from their personal mobile phones or satellite texting devices. Once subscribed, you will receive a confirmation message. If you do not receive a confirmation message do not assume that you are subscribed. It is essential to receive a confirmation message to ensure successful subscription before embarking on any trip. Alternatively, users can sign up for email versions of alerts at https://smart911.com.

Technical Considerations

It's important to note that satellite texting devices, such as those from Garmin and SPOT, have limitations on the number of custom messages they can receive during the length of a typical river trip. All messages from the Grand Canyon River Alert system, including signup and confirmation messages, count towards this limit.

Users can opt out at any time by texting "LEAVE GCRIVERALERTS" or "STOP" to stop all messages.

 

Agency Contacts

• Thomas Gushue, U.S. Geological Suvey ([e-mail])
• Tim Carter, Coconino County Emergency Management ([e-mail])
• Megan Taylor, National Weather Service-Flagstaff ([e-mail])
• Joelle Baird, National Park Service ([e-mail])

 

Flooding around Galloway Creek/Dubendorf Rapid on August 22, 2024.

Photo credit: Larkin Carey