Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 27, 2026

The WDFW Creel Dashboard is an independent project run by Jeremy Veleber. It is not affiliated with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. This page explains what the site collects, why, and how you can delete it.

Without an account

You can use the whole dashboard without signing in. In that case:

• On Water data stays on your device. If you allow location, On Water records your GPS track while the page is open, and keeps the catches you log (time, position, species, outcome, an optional photo and the fishing score shown at that moment). All of this is stored only in your browser. Nothing is sent to us.
• Usage statistics. The site counts page views and feature use with Google Analytics, sent from our server. Each browser gets a random ID stored on it. Google receives your IP address and browser type to estimate a rough region and device type. These statistics are not linked to an account and never include your GPS position.
• Server logs. Our hosting (Google Cloud) logs each request, including your IP address, for up to 30 days to keep the site running.

With an account

Signing in (with Google or an email and password) backs up your On Water data so it syncs between your devices. We then store:

• Account details: your email address, and your name and profile picture if you sign in with Google.
• Catches: the catch details listed above, including photos.
• GPS tracks: your recorded track points (time and position to about one metre), up to 500,000 points; the oldest points are dropped beyond that.
• Devices: a random ID and a label such as "Chrome on Android" for each device you use, and when it last synced.

This data is stored with Google Firebase in the United States (Oregon). Only you can read it when signed in.

Photo screening

Every uploaded photo is checked automatically by Google Cloud Vision for adult, violent or similar content. A photo that fails is deleted and removed from the catch. We keep a short record of that (your account ID, the catch ID, the reason and the time) to prevent abuse.

How we use your data

• To show and sync your own catches and tracks back to you.
• To improve the site and the On Water fishing model, only after the data is separated from your account and combined or reduced so that it cannot reasonably be traced back to you. Your data is never used with your account attached.
• We do not sell your data, use it for advertising, or share data tied to your account with anyone other than the service providers that run the site (Google Firebase and Google Cloud).
• We do not collect health information and do not use your location to infer anything about your health.

Other services the page loads

Maps load tiles from OpenStreetMap, Esri (ArcGIS) and OpenSeaMap, tide data comes from NOAA, and the video library uses YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com). These services see your IP address and the map area or video requested, as with any website. Sign-in uses Google reCAPTCHA to block automated abuse.

Keeping and deleting your data

• Your data is kept until you delete it.
• Delete a catch: it is removed from all your devices and from our servers, with its photo. Only its ID, the time it was deleted and which of your devices deleted it stay, so your other devices remove it too.
• Replace a photo: the earlier version is removed from our servers.
• Clear your track: those points are removed from all your devices and from our servers.
• Delete account (in the account menu): permanently erases your account, catches, photos, tracks and devices from our servers.
• Sign out: removes the synced data from that device; your account keeps it.

Children

The site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from them.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, the date at the top changes with it. Questions or requests about your data: privacy@jeremyveleber.com.