Watervlakken 2024: mapping the stagnant-water landscape
Watervlakken 1.0 was the first georeferenced map of all stagnant surface waters in Flanders in 2018. As the landscape is constantly changing, INBO updates the file every two years. We are now releasing the fourth version (2024) of this map.
The new file contains more than 93,000 polygons. Orthophotos from 2021, 2022 and 2023, the Digital Terrain Model of Flanders and information from users have been used to update the map. For the first time, we used the results of an AI model that maps water surfaces. We have added more than 2,500 new polygons. These are mainly newly constructed ponds, garden ponds and swimming ponds. About 2,400 water surfaces have disappeared from the landscape, mainly due to filling, pond restoration or management.
Watervlakken 2024 is available as a shape file, ESRI FileGDB, GeoPackage and GML file and can be viewed and downloaded from the Geopunt catalogue (search for “Watervlakken 2024”). The map is also available on Zenodo. The accompanying report provides the necessary background information. Suggestions for further additions and improvements are always welcome via the reporting point.
Watervlakken is also the Flemish contribution to the National Wetland Inventory for the Ramsar Convention.
An Leyssen, Kevin Scheers, Jo Packet, Florian Van Hecke & Carine Wils
(image above: Yves Adams - Vildaphoto)
Read more:
- Leyssen A., Scheers K., Packet J., Van Hecke F., Wils C. (2024). Watervlakken 2024: polygonenkaart van stilstaand water in Vlaanderen. Uitgave 2024. Rapporten van het Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek 2024 (52). Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek, Brussel. DOI: org/10.21436/inbor.114075267
- Datasets Watervlakken