Privacy Policy
Last updated: March 4, 2026
1. Information We Collect
When you create an account, we collect your username, email address, and name. We also collect usage data such as pages visited, rivers and stations you interact with, and feature usage patterns.
We use cookies to maintain your session and remember your preferences. If you interact with third-party ads displayed on WaterLands, those ad networks may set their own cookies.
2. How We Use Your Information
- To provide and maintain your account and personalized experience
- To send transactional emails (password resets, account notifications)
- To display relevant advertisements
- To improve our services and develop new features
- To monitor and prevent abuse of our platform
3. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:
- Service providers that help us operate WaterLands (hosting, email delivery, payment processing)
- Ad networks that display advertisements on our platform
- Law enforcement when required by law
4. Data Storage & Security
Your data is stored on secure servers. Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms. We use HTTPS for all communications and HTTP-only cookies for session management.
5. Your Rights
You may request to access, correct, or delete your personal data at any time by contacting us. You can also delete your account through your account settings.
6. Cookies
We use the following types of cookies:
- Essential cookies: Required for authentication and core functionality
- Preference cookies: Remember your settings like default state
- Advertising cookies: Used by ad networks to serve relevant ads
You can control cookie preferences through the cookie consent banner or your browser settings.
7. Third-Party Services
WaterLands uses data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), NOAA, and other public agencies. Our use of this data is governed by their respective terms. We also use Cloudflare Turnstile for bot protection and Stripe for payment processing.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email.
9. Contact
For privacy-related questions, contact us at privacy@waterlands.app.