Data sources & licenses
CabinClarity turns public lake data into a plain-language profile. We don't sell the underlying data — we analyze it. Here's exactly where it comes from and the licenses that govern it.
Minnesota DNR
MN DNR General Data & Software License · Lake Map License
LakeFinder (lake identification, fish stocking & regulations, invasive-species status), Lake Mapping bathymetry/depth, nearby public lands, and water-clarity programs.
The DNR permits derivative works (analysis like our Shoreline Score) but prohibits reselling the raw data itself. Lake map data is provided by the Minnesota DNR and used in accordance with the MN DNR Lake Map License. We acknowledge the Minnesota DNR as a data contributor.
Wisconsin DNR
Wisconsin DNR website terms
Wisconsin lake profiles, fish & regulations, clarity programs, and aquatic invasive-species status.
Provided under the Wisconsin DNR website terms: data is offered "as is," governed by Wisconsin law, and may not be used to imply departmental endorsement.
UMN LakeBrowser
University of Minnesota data service
Modeled Secchi-disk (water-clarity) time series that power our clarity-history charts.
Used with acknowledgment of the University of Minnesota.
EPA Water Quality Portal
U.S. Government work · public domain (CC0)
Supplemental water-quality context. Federal government works are in the public domain and free for commercial use; attribution encouraged.
OpenStreetMap
Open Database License (ODbL)
Nearby points of interest — boat launches, marinas, restaurants, access points — and lake geometry, served through our self-hosted GeoDesk gateway built from the OSM US-Midwest extract.
© OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL is an attribution + share-alike license: you may charge for your product, but any OSM-derived database that is publicly used must be made available. The OSM-derived dataset used by CabinClarity is available under ODbL on request — email [email protected].
Geocoders (Esri & US Census)
Provider terms of use
Turning a listing address or URL into map coordinates. Subject to each provider's terms of use.
Our obligations & stance
- We sell analysis, not data. Our Shoreline Score, charts, and summaries are derivative works built on top of public sources — not repackaged raw datasets.
- Attribution is built in. Every report credits MN/WI DNR, UMN LakeBrowser, EPA, and OpenStreetMap contributors.
- No government endorsement. CabinClarity is an independent product and is not endorsed by, or affiliated with, any agency named above.
- OSM share-alike. Our OSM-derived data is available under ODbL on request.
Questions about data licensing? Reach us at [email protected].
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