Tag:water=lake
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Description |
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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 |
Useful combination |
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See also |
Status: approved![]() |
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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. Intermittent lakes (which disappear seasonally) should be tagged with intermittent=yes; salt lakes — with salt=yes. Also see water=lagoon for salt water bodies next to the sea and water=oxbow for lakes formed by the meanders of a river.
Example
For Lake Baikal area tags would be as follows:
natural=water water=lake name=Baikal
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.
- tag the relation as natural=water and water=lake. Other tags describing the lake (e.g. name=*, intermittent=*, etc.) should also go 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
- landuse=basin or 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