Tag:waterway=ditch
 waterway = ditch
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| Description |
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A small artificial drainage waterway, usually unlined. 
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| Rendering in OSM Carto |
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| Group: waterways |
| Used on these elements |
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| Useful combination |
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| See also |
| Status: de facto |
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Use waterway=ditch for simple narrow artificial waterways, mapped as way, used to drain nearby land, to remove storm-water or similar. Ditches are usually straight (as opposed to natural streams). Unlike a drain, they are not lined with concrete or other hard materials. They are often found along roads or on the edges of agricultural fields.
They may contain little water or even be dry most of the year – to mark this intermittent=yes may be used.
For artificial drainage waterways lined with concrete or similar, see waterway=drain. For large artificial waterways used for navigation or for transporting useful water, see waterway=canal.
How to map
- See also: Waterways
Draw a way 
in the flow direction of the water and add the waterway=ditch.
The waterway should always be connected to the next waterway. Sometimes the ditch flows through a pipe into the next waterway. Then use tunnel=culvert and layer=-1.
Additional tags
- name=* to specify the name of the stream, for example, 'Little Creek'.
- width=* to indicate the width of the ditch.
- intermittent=yes to indicate that a ditch does not have a permanent flow.
- tunnel=culvert and layer=-1 if the ditch flows under a road, railroad, trail, or similar feature.
- seasonal=yes for sections that do not carry water seasonally
Water area 
Ditches that are wider should be drawn with natural=water + water=ditch as an area (in addition to the main stream waterway=ditch) so that they are rendered cleanly.
As a relation
waterway=ditch can be used on Relation:waterway. This relation connects many parts of the ditch into a whole.
Similar tags
- waterway=drain: for larger artificial waterways used for the drainage purposes, and typically lined with concrete or similar
- barrier=ditch: for dry ditches used to prevent access to the other side
- waterway=stream: for natural minor waterways
- waterway=canal: for artificial waterways created for carrying useful water or for transport
Photos
See also
- tunnel=culvert
- natural=gully - natural cutting formed by a small stream
- natural=earth_bank
- waterway=drain - An artificial free flow waterway used for carrying superfluous water like storm water or industrial discharge, usually lined with concrete, stones or similar.
- depth=*