Tag:water=lake

water = lake
Description
A natural or semi-natural body of relatively still fresh or salt water which is surrounded by land.
Group: water
Used on these elements
Requires
natural=water
Useful combination
name=*
See also
water=oxbow water=pond water=reservoir water=lagoon
Status: approved
water=lake $1% $1% $1% $1% More details at taginfo
Tools for this tag
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Lake: a natural or semi-natural body of relatively still fresh or salt water, localized in a basin that is surrounded by land. Artificially created lakes should instead be tagged as water=basin, water=reservoir, or water=pond.

How to map

Draw a closed way to form an area. Add water=lake + natural=water.

Tags used in combination

• name=* - The officially designated name.
• intermittent=yes - Intermittent lakes (which disappear seasonally).
• salt=yes - For salt lakes.

Islands

Lakes with one or more islands in them should be mapped as multipolygons.

First, map the island(s).

• for each island, draw the outline of the island by tracing its shoreline
• add place=island or if it is very small place=islet
• optional landuse=* can be added. For example, if the island is wooded, add landuse=forest or natural=wood.
• if the island has a name=* of its own, add it here too

Next, map the lake outline.

• draw a closed way following the lake's shoreline
• do not add any tags to this way – the lake's tags will instead be put on the parent relation

Finally, create a type=multipolygon relation.

• All tags, including natural=water and water=lake should be on the relation.
• Add the lake outline as a member with role outer
• add the island(s) as members with role inner

See also

• water=oxbow - a U-shaped lake that forms when a meandering river changes course
• water=pond - a body of standing water, man-made in most cases, that is usually smaller than a lake
• water=lagoon - a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by a barrier
• water=basin - An area of land artificially graded to hold water
• water=reservoir - an artificial lake or reservoir formed by a dam across a natural water course or depression
• OSM Inspector Water