Case Study: Governor's Salmon Recovery Office (GSRO) achieves paper-free, up-to-date salmon recovery reporting with Socrata

Hard Copy is History: Web-Based Reports Save Paper, Time, and Money

Washington State’s Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office (GSRO) faced a costly, paper‑based reporting process: its biennial salmon recovery report was roughly 150 pages, cost up to $50,000 to produce (not including staff time), and was out of date by publication. GSRO wanted a cheaper, more accessible, frequently updated, and more granular way to share the data behind salmon recovery and watershed health.

Working with Paladin Data Systems, SBGH‑Partners, Mt. Olympia Design Studio and the Socrata open‑data platform, the team cleaned and imported source data, built interactive visualizations, and published a web‑based report. They delivered about 250 web pages on time, improved data accuracy and transparency, enabled automated updates via the state open data portal, cut printing and production burdens, and handed GSRO a self‑managable system for future reporting.

Governor's Salmon Recovery Office (GSRO)

Jennifer Johnson

Recovery Implementation Coordinator