Authors: Jerson Garcia – Brigham Young University
Title: A Cross-Platform Mobile App for Visualizing U.S. River Flow Using the National Water Model
Presentation Type: Lightning Talk
Abstract: RIVR is a cross-platform mobile application built with Flutter that enables real-time visualization and exploration of river discharge data across the United States. Leveraging NOAA’s National Water Model and other NOAA APIs, RIVR provides users with interactive access to current and forecasted river flow conditions. Key features include an interactive map of river stations, hourly to 30-day flow forecasts, calendar-based flow visualizations, and hydrographs. Users can search locations by city, save favorite stations, and compare current flow conditions against historical return periods (e.g., 2-year, 5-year). The app uses Firebase for authentication and SQLite for offline station storage, offering both robust performance and user-friendly design. This lightning talk will highlight the app’s architecture, data integration methods, and its potential for water resource management, recreational planning, and hydrologic education.