OpenStreetMap — `waterway=*`, `natural=water` Realisation of Surface Freshwater Bodies

Leaf: Surface Freshwater Bodies Dataset: OpenStreetMap — waterway=*, natural=water

OSM covers rivers, streams, lakes, and canals globally. Linear waterways are tagged on ways; standing water bodies on closed ways or relations.

osmnx access

import osmnx as ox
ox.settings.cache_folder = ".cache/"
 
# Rivers and streams (linear)
waterways = ox.features_from_place(
    "Copenhagen, Denmark",
    tags={"waterway": ["river", "stream", "canal", "drain"]}
)
 
# Lakes and ponds (polygon)
water_bodies = ox.features_from_place(
    "Copenhagen, Denmark",
    tags={"natural": "water"}
)

Geofabrik layers

Layer	Content
gis_osm_waterways_free_1.shp	Rivers, streams, canals — LineString
gis_osm_water_a_free_1.shp	Lakes, ponds, reservoirs — Polygon

Key OSM tags

Tag	Meaning
waterway=river	River
waterway=stream	Stream
waterway=canal	Canal
waterway=drain	Drainage channel
natural=water	Water body (lake, pond, reservoir)
water=lake	Lake (sub-tag of natural=water)
water=reservoir	Reservoir
water=pond	Pond
name=*	Name of the water body