Terms of Service & User Agreement

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of Iowa Paddle (the “Service”), operated by IowaPaddle.com (“Iowa Paddle,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. The Service is informational only

Iowa Paddle is a recreational planning aid. It aggregates public data (river routes, access sites, USGS gauge readings, weather, hazards) and user-contributed content. It is not a navigation, safety, emergency, or weather service, and must never be relied upon as one. Nothing in the Service is a recommendation that any river, reach, or condition is safe for you.

2. Assumption of risk

Paddling, kayaking, canoeing, and related activities are inherently dangerous and can result in serious injury or death, including from drowning, cold-water shock, hypothermia, low-head dams, strainers, log jams, rapids, high or low water, flooding, weather, wildlife, and other hazards that may be unmarked, inaccurately marked, or unknown. You voluntarily assume all such risks. You are solely responsible for evaluating conditions and deciding whether to paddle. When in doubt, do not go out.

3. No warranty as to data or conditions

All information in the Service may be inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, delayed, or wrong, including gauge readings, flow and level values, “safe range” and “not-recommended”/hazard indicators, dam and obstruction locations, launches, campgrounds, routes, distances, and any user-submitted trips, waypoints, trip reports, or notes. Any indicator that a section is or is not “recommended,” is or is not a “hazard,” or falls inside or outside a “safe” flow band is an automated estimate, not a guarantee of safety. Conditions change rapidly and may differ materially from what the Service shows. A section shown as “runnable,” not flagged, or within a safe range may in fact be dangerous or deadly. Always verify conditions independently through official sources (USGS, the National Weather Service, local authorities), scout in person, and use your own judgment and training.

4. Your responsibilities

• Obtain proper training and only paddle within your ability.
• Wear a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device.
• Check current weather, flow, and conditions from official sources before and during your trip.
• Portage or avoid dams, strainers, and other hazards; never rely on the Service to warn you of them.
• Carry appropriate safety equipment, tell someone your plan, and obey all laws, closures, and private-property rights.
• In an emergency, call 911. The Service cannot summon help.

5. Accounts

You can browse the map without an account. Optional community features — saved trips, clubs, outings, the paddle logbook, leaderboards, comments, and profiles — require you to create an account by signing in with your email or with a third-party provider (such as Google, Meta, or GitHub). You must provide accurate information, be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age in your jurisdiction), keep your login secure, and are responsible for all activity under your account. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

6. Your content and license

“User content” means anything you submit — trips and routes, logbook entries, profile details, club and outing information, comments, kudos, and pin reports. You keep ownership of your user content. You grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, display, and distribute it as needed to operate and improve the Service (including showing public content to others and generating aggregate statistics). You represent that you have the rights to submit your content and that it does not violate law or the rights of others.

You control the visibility of your trips (private, unlisted, or public). Public and unlisted content, your public profile, comments, and club activity are visible to others — do not post anything you would not want shared. We may, but are not obligated to, review, moderate, edit, or remove any user content, and may remove content or accounts at our discretion.

7. Community conduct & acceptable use

Do not use the Service to, and do not post content that:

• submits false, misleading, or malicious hazard or safety information;
• harasses, threatens, defames, or impersonates others, or invades their privacy;
• is unlawful, obscene, hateful, or infringes intellectual-property or other rights;
• is spam, advertising, or bulk/automated activity; or
• scrapes, overloads, disrupts, or attempts to breach the security of the Service.

We may block, restrict, or remove access or content that violates these Terms.

8. Leaderboards

If you appear on a leaderboard, we publish your aggregatestatistics (such as total miles, rivers, streaks, and level) — never your individual logbook entries. By default you appear under a masked name derived from your email (for example, colo****). You may choose to show your real name or hide yourself from leaderboards at any time.

9. Pin reports

The map includes a tool to drop a pin and submit a short note flagging something (a missing launch, a hazard, an error). Reports are submitted anonymously; do not include personal information, and do not submit false hazard or safety information. We may review, use, or decline any report at our discretion and are not obligated to act on or verify submissions. Do not rely on reports (yours or others’) for your safety.

10. Disclaimer of warranties

THE SERVICE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE OR ITS DATA IS ACCURATE, RELIABLE, COMPLETE, CURRENT, OR SAFE TO RELY ON. USER CONTENT REFLECTS THE VIEWS OF THOSE WHO SUBMIT IT, NOT US.

11. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IOWA PADDLE AND ITS OWNERS, OPERATORS, CONTRIBUTORS, AND SUPPLIERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR LOSS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) THE SERVICE OR ANY DATA OR CONTENT IN IT, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE PRIOR TWELVE MONTHS OR USD $50. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain exclusions, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

12. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Iowa Paddle and its owners, operators, and contributors from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your use of the Service, any content or report you submit, or your violation of these Terms or of any law or third-party right.

13. Termination

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time (contact us to delete your account and associated data). We may suspend or terminate your access or account at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including violation of these Terms. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including the license for already-public content, disclaimers, limitation of liability, and indemnification) will survive.

14. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Iowa, United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Iowa for any dispute not subject to binding arbitration or small-claims court, where applicable.

15. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last updated” date, and continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms: [email protected].