Terms of use, and terms for public-agency reference
Version 1.0 · September 15, 2026 · floattheyellowstone.com/terms
This page exists so that a public agency, county, chamber or local organization can see plainly what this tool is, what it collects, where its numbers come from, and on what terms it may be linked to or referenced. It is written to be read once and filed.
1. What this is
Float the Yellowstone is a free public planning tool for the upper Yellowstone River, covering 29 Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks fishing access sites from Gardiner downstream to Laurel. It estimates how long a float will take at the river's current flow and reports the daylight, wind, smoke and shuttle context around that estimate.
It is built and operated by Paradise Valley Media, a private studio in Livingston, Montana.
2. It is independent, and it claims no endorsement
Float the Yellowstone is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated on behalf of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Park County, Gallatin County, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Weather Service, the National Park Service, or any other public body.
Public data sources are named throughout the site so that readers can check the numbers themselves. Naming an agency as a source of data is a citation. It is not a claim of partnership, review, or approval, and this site will not present it as one.
3. It is free, and there is nothing to buy
- No cost, no subscription, no membership, no paywall.
- No account or sign-in. There is nothing to create and nothing to log into.
- No advertising, and no paid or sponsored placement anywhere in the planning tool or its data.
4. What it collects, stated precisely
No personal information is requested or stored. The site has no fields for a name, email address, phone number or physical address, and it does not ask who you are.
Two things are collected, and they are the only two:
- Voluntary trip reports. After a float, a user may choose to report how long it actually took, the type of craft, whether they stopped to fish, the size of the party, and an optional free-text note. This is used to improve the accuracy of the float-time estimate. It is entirely optional and carries no identity.
- Anonymous, aggregate web analytics. Page views and referrers, in aggregate, so we can tell whether the tool is being used. Individual visitors are not identified, profiled, or tracked across other websites, and no data is sold or shared with advertisers.
We would rather state this exactly than claim more than is true: the site does run standard aggregate analytics. It does not collect personal information, and it never has.
5. Where the numbers come from
Every figure on the site traces to a public source, named on the page that uses it:
U.S. Geological Survey — stream gauges 06191500 (Corwin Springs) and
06192500 (near Livingston): discharge, gauge height, water temperature, and
the daily statistics used for historical context
NOAA National Weather Service — wind and weather forecasts
USGS NHDPlus — river centerline geometry, river miles, channel
slope
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — fishing access site locations
ECMWF CAMS via Open-Meteo — modeled air quality at the reach
EPA AirNow — nearest official ground monitor, shown with its
distance
OpenStreetMap and OSRM — shuttle driving times
USGS The National Map — base map imagery
Float times are produced by a model calibrated specifically to this river from measured flow-wave travel between the two gauges, adjusted per reach by channel slope. The method and its uncertainty are disclosed on the site with every estimate.
6. What the estimates are, and what they are not
A float time is an estimate derived from river flow. It is published with an uncertainty range and with its assumptions stated, including that it assumes continuous drifting with no stops.
It is not a determination that the river is safe for any person, party or craft; not a substitute for current Montana FWP regulations, restrictions or closures; and not a substitute for a boater's own judgment. The site says so on every estimate it produces, and it directs readers to official sources for regulations.
7. Permission to link to, reference, and publish the address
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Park County, Gallatin County, the city of Livingston, local chambers of commerce, conservation districts, and other public or non-profit organizations are granted permission to:
- link to floattheyellowstone.com, or to any page on it;
- reference it by name as a public planning resource;
- print or post its web address on signage, handouts or informational materials.
No fee, licence payment, contract, or signed agreement is required, and none will be requested.
8. Ownership stays where it is
The permission in section 7 is a licence to reference, not a transfer. The float-time model, its calibration, the underlying dataset, the software and the brand remain the property of Paradise Valley Media.
Equally, nothing here claims any right in an agency's own data, marks or materials. Public data is used as public data, with attribution.
9. Either side may stop, at any time, for any reason
This arrangement has no term and creates no obligation in either direction.
- Any agency may remove a link or stop referencing this site at any time, without notice and without explanation. No consultation is required and none is expected.
- Paradise Valley Media may likewise modify or discontinue the site. If the site is discontinued, we will make a reasonable effort to notify any organization we know to be linking to it, so that stale links can be removed.
10. No warranty, and no liability placed on any agency
The site is provided as-is, without warranty of any kind. Paradise Valley Media makes no guarantee that any figure is accurate, current, or fit for a particular purpose, and users are directed to verify conditions and regulations through official channels.
No public agency bears any responsibility for this site's content. An agency that links to or references Float the Yellowstone is not the author, publisher, reviewer or guarantor of anything on it, and nothing on this site should be read as making an agency responsible for it.
11. Regulations always take precedence
Where anything on this site appears to conflict with a current Montana FWP regulation, restriction, closure, or an instruction from a land manager or peace officer, the official source governs. If you find such a conflict, please tell us and we will correct it.
12. Contact
Questions, corrections, or a request to change anything on this page: matt@paradisevalleymedia.com.
Corrections from an agency about that agency's own data or how it is described will be acted on promptly.