Key:water

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Public-images-osm logo.svg water
Nowitna river.jpg
Description
Specification of a water body Show/edit corresponding data item.
Group: natural
Used on these elements
should not be used on nodesshould not be used on waysmay be used on areas (and multipolygon relations)should not be used on relations (except multipolygon relations)
Documented values: 24
Requires
Useful combination
Status: approvedPage for proposal

Used to specify a type of inland body of water. It must be tagged in conjunction with natural=water.

Possible values

These tables are a general overview of each feature. For detailed explanation of each, refer to their specific pages.

Natural features

Tagging Description Sample photo
water=cenote A cenote: a deep natural well or sinkhole, especially in Central America, formed by the collapse of surface limestone that exposes groundwater underneath. St. Herman's Blue Hole.jpg
water=lagoon A lagoon: a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. It's better to specify saltness of water with salt=yes/no. GlenrockLagoonFromLeichhardtLookout.JPG
water=lake A lake: A body of relatively still fresh or salt water. Artificially created water bodies should be tagged with water=pond or water=reservoir. Blowdown Lake.JPG
water=oxbow An oxbow lake: U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. Nowitna river.jpg
water=rapids A fast-flowing, often turbulent, section of a watercourse such as a river, often containing exposed rocks or boulders. This tag is only for mapping rapids area. Rapids still have to be mapped on river centerline, see waterway=rapids and for more rapids properties whitewater:rapid_grade=*. Karvionkoski rapids.jpg
water=river The water area of a river. Should contain waterway=river way inside. Volga Ulyanovsk-oliv.jpg
water=stream The water covered area of a stream: a naturally-formed watercourse which is narrower than a river Stream in gasadalur.jpg
water=stream_pool A stream pool; a small and usually deep collection of fresh water, occurring along a stream. Water velocity in the pool is typically much lower than in the stream. Frequently found below a waterfall. May be used as a "swimming hole". Stream Pool "Jump Rock" along Macquarie Rivulet, Macquarie Pass, NSW, Australia.

Artificial features

Tagging Description Sample photo
water=basin An area of land artificially graded to hold water. For more details you can use basin=*. Linz regenrückhaltebecken.jpg
water=canal A body of a canal, a man-made channel for water. Should contain waterway=canal way inside. MurtfaltalrDanubeChannel.JPG
water=ditch Water covered area of a waterway=ditch - a linear waterbody serving as a barrier or for draining surrounding land. Should contain waterway=ditch way inside. Bij Gaastmeer, sloot in het polderlandschap IMG 2459a 2018-04-19 08.28.jpg
water=drain The water covered area of a waterway=drain - an artificial waterway, lined with concrete or similar, used to carry superfluous water. Should contain waterway=drain way inside. Iron Cove Ck looking downstream from John St, Croydon.jpg
water=fish_pass The body of a fish pass for the fish to pass waterway dams or weirs. Should contain waterway=fish_pass way inside. Fischtreppe Isar bei Pullach.jpg
water=harbour A harbour is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. Düsseldorf - Hafenbecken Lausward+Portainer NDH 02 ies.jpg
water=lock A lock chamber outline: a part of river, canal or lake system, level of which can be manipulated. The mapping of a lock and its parts is described on wiki-site lock=*. HeidelbergLock2.jpg
water=moat A deep, wide defensive ditch, normally filled with water, surrounding a fortified habitation. Naarden kl.JPG
water=pond A pond: a body of standing water, man-made in most cases, that is usually smaller than a lake. Salt evaporation ponds should be tagged with landuse=salt_pond, open-air swimming pools — with leisure=swimming_pool. Branddam-Beder.jpg
water=reflecting_pool A reflecting pool: a water feature found in gardens, parks, and at memorial sites. It usually consists of a shallow pool of water, undisturbed by fountain jets, for a calm reflective surface. USA 09562 Boston Luca Galuzzi 2007.jpg
water=reservoir A reservoir - An artificial body of water used to store water, usually formed by a dam over a natural water course to retain the water. Lakevyrnwysummer.jpg
water=wastewater A clarifier/settling basin of a wastewater treatment plant.
The whole land area of the plant should be mapped with man_made=wastewater_plant.
Flug Leer nach Emden 2010 11.JPG

Obsolete uses

Possible tagging mistakes

If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
  • water=natural ‒ is redundant and should be regarded as a mistake.
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!

See also