1. Lake Pulse informs decisions; it doesn't make them.
Lake Pulse is only as good as the data behind it, and no dataset knows a lake as well as the people who use it every day. Conditions can change across a lake and over time in ways the data may not capture. Options may be discussed here, but responsibility for any action rests with those who decide to act.
2. Report what you saw, not what it means.
Describe observations: what, where, and when. Do not post conclusions about whether water is safe, whether a treatment worked, or what caused a problem. Posts like “the water is fine” or “it's safe to swim” are not allowed.
3. Member reports are observations, not tests.
Bloom Reports and other member posts are unverified and are not laboratory results. Lake Pulse does not check them for accuracy. Never rely on them, or on their absence, to decide whether it is safe to swim, drink, or let pets or children in the water. Follow posted signs and your state or local health advisories.
4. Talk about the lake, not about people.
Do not name, identify, or accuse any individual, household, property, farm, or business of causing pollution, breaking rules, or harming the lake. If you believe a law is being broken, report it to the appropriate agency, not here.
5. Photos: water, not people.
Photos must not show identifiable people, faces, license plates, or close-ups of private property. Photograph the water. We remove location and device data from photos, and record locations at the shoreline, not a specific home.
6. No selling, no endorsements, no attacks.
Lake Pulse is vendor-neutral. Do not advertise, solicit, recommend, or criticize specific treatment companies, contractors, or products. You may factually describe what was done and what was measured.
7. Your lake's data belongs to your lake community.
Do not copy, publish, or share another lake's private data or reports outside Lake Pulse without its administrator's permission.
8. Be civil.
No harassment, threats, hate, or personal attacks. Disagree about data, not about people.
9. Emergencies don't belong here.
If someone is ill, injured, or in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. For suspected poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
10. Reporting and removal.
Use “Report” on any post. Lake Pulse and lake administrators may remove content or limit accounts that break these guidelines, at their discretion. We are not obligated to review every post, and removing or leaving a post up is not a statement about its accuracy.
11. Changes.
We may update these guidelines. The current version and date are always shown here.
