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Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information Falls Discovery collects, why it is used, and the choices available to visitors.

Effective date: September 27, 2026

Who operates this website

Falls Discovery is an independent waterfall and river-rapid directory created and maintained by Aleksandr Pavlov. Questions about this policy or requests concerning personal information can be submitted through the Contact & Corrections page.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the site, the web server and security providers may process technical information such as your IP address, browser and device type, requested URL, referring page, and the date and time of the request. This information is used to deliver the site, maintain security, prevent abuse, diagnose errors, and understand aggregate site performance.

Falls Discovery uses Cloudflare for content delivery, caching, traffic management, and protection against malicious requests. Cloudflare may process request data and set cookies that are necessary for its security services. More information is available in the Cloudflare Privacy Policy.

Reviews and comments

If you submit a review or comment, the site collects the name you provide, your email address, an optional website address, the review text, rating, IP address, browser user-agent string, and submission time. Your displayed name, review, rating, and any approved visitor information may be published. Your email address and IP address are not displayed publicly.

Reviews may be checked and moderated to prevent spam, abuse, unsafe information, or content unrelated to the listed place. If you select the option to remember your details, WordPress stores your name, email address, and website in cookies in your browser for your convenience.

Visitor photographs

You may attach up to three JPEG, PNG, or WebP photographs to a review. Each file may be up to 8 MB. Photographs are held for moderation before they appear publicly. By selecting the required confirmation, you state that the photographs are yours and permit Falls Discovery to publish them with the name you provided. A separate optional choice allows an approved photograph to appear in the main gallery for that waterfall or rapid.

The site re-encodes submitted photographs and is designed to remove embedded metadata, including EXIF and GPS location information. It may resize images and create additional image sizes for display. The optional month of visit and water-flow observation are stored with the review when supplied.

Location features and maps

The “Near Me” feature requests access to your device location only after you choose to allow it. The coordinates are used to find nearby places. They may be included in the request needed to return nearby results and may therefore appear temporarily in technical server logs, but Falls Discovery does not use them to build a personal location history.

Interactive maps use OpenStreetMap data and map-tile services. Loading a map may send technical request information, including your IP address, to the map service. See the OpenStreetMap Foundation Privacy Policy.

Cookies and local storage

The site uses cookies that are necessary for security, WordPress administration, and basic site functions. Optional comment cookies are used only when you select the checkbox asking the browser to remember your comment details. Map and interface preferences may also be stored locally in your browser. You can remove or block cookies through your browser settings, although some functions may not work as expected.

How information is used

  • To display and moderate reviews and visitor photographs.
  • To answer correction, privacy, and copyright requests.
  • To operate maps and location-based search.
  • To protect the site and its visitors from spam, fraud, and malicious traffic.
  • To maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the directory.

Sharing and sale of information

Information may be processed by service providers that help host, secure, cache, and deliver the website. It may also be disclosed when required by law or when reasonably necessary to protect the site, its visitors, or the rights of another person. Falls Discovery does not currently sell personal information or use visitor information for behavioral advertising.

Retention

Published reviews and approved photographs may remain available while the associated directory entry exists and the contribution remains useful. Pending, spam, or removed submissions may be retained for a limited period for moderation, security, backup, or dispute-resolution purposes. Technical logs are retained according to operational and service-provider schedules. Information may be deleted or anonymized when it is no longer reasonably needed.

Your choices and requests

You may ask to access, correct, or delete personal information associated with a contribution. You may also request removal of a review or photograph, withdraw permission for future display of a submitted photograph, or report content that infringes your rights. To help locate a submission, include the relevant page URL, the displayed author name, and the email address used when submitting it. Requests can be made through the Contact & Corrections page.

External links

Falls Discovery links to park agencies, mapping providers, source material, and other third-party websites. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, not this one.

Children

The site is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. Please do not submit personal information or photographs if you are under 13.

Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated when site features, service providers, or legal requirements change. The effective date at the top of the page identifies the latest revision.