[Tagging] Drain vs. ditch

EthnicFood IsGreat ethnicfoodisgreat at gmail.com
Wed Jan 16 18:04:27 UTC 2019


> Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2019 17:06:57 +0700
> From: Dave Swarthout <daveswarthout at gmail.com>
> To: "Tag discussion, strategy and related tools"
> 	<tagging at openstreetmap.org>
> Subject: Re: [Tagging] Drain vs ditch
>
>
> Sounds good, Eugene. I like those descriptions.
>
> On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 4:41 PM Eugene Podshivalov <yaugenka at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> =drain
>>> suggested: Use waterway
>>> <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:waterway>=drain for artificial
>>> waterways <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Waterways>, typically
>>> lined with concrete or similar, usually used to carry water for drainage
>>> or irrigation purposes.
>>>
>>> =ditch
>>> suggested: Use waterway
>>> <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:waterway>=ditch for simple
>>> narrow artificial waterways
>>> <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Waterways>, typically unlined,
>>> usually used to remove storm-water or similar from nearby land. Ditches
>>> are usually straight (as opposed to natural streams). They may contain
>>> little water or even be dry most of the year – to mark this intermittent
>>> <https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:intermittent>=yes may be used.
>>>
>> I don't know if that was done on purpose of by mistake but these
>> definitions are mixed up a bit. It is ditches that are used for irrigation,
>> not drains.
>> I would suggest to define them as follows.
>>
>> canal - large man-made open flow (free flow vs pipe flow) waterways used
>> to carry useful water for transportation, hydro-power generation,
>> irrigation or land drainage purposes. consider using waterway=ditch for
>> small irrigation or land drainage channels. consider using waterway=drain
>> for small lined superflous liquid drainage channels.
>>
>> drain - small artificial free flow waterways usually lined with concrete
>> or similar used for carrying away superflous liquid like rain water or
>> industrial discharge. consider using waterway=ditch for unlined channels
>> used to drain nearby land. consider using waterway=canal for large unlined
>> land drainage channels.
>>
>> ditch - small artificial free flow unlined waterways used for irrigating
>> or draining land as well as for deviding land. consider using
>> waterway=canal for large irrigation or land drainage channels. consider
>> using waterway=drain for lined superflous liquid drainage channels.
>>
>> No need to introduce any new tags.
>>
>> Eugene
>>
>> ср, 16 янв. 2019 г. в 05:12, Warin <61sundowner at gmail.com>:
>>
>>> On 16/01/19 11:53, Graeme Fitzpatrick wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, 16 Jan 2019 at 10:28, Dave Swarthout <daveswarthout at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Although the 1st definition sort of agrees with your usage, the common
>>>> definition in the U.S. is closer to the other two. There are several other
>>>> definitions given but most of them are similar to those two. So it will be
>>>> a bit confusing to use here in the U.S.
>>>>
>>> Now why does that amaze me! :-)
>>>
>>> irrigation channel: a passage
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/passage> dug
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/dug> in the
>>> ground <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/ground_1>
>>>   and used <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/used>
>>>   for bringing
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/bring> water
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/water_1> to land
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/land_1> in order
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/order_1> to make
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/make_1> plants
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/plant_1> grow
>>> <https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/grow>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> OSM gives a distinction between river and stream.
>>> There should be a similar distinction between 'drain' etc.
>>> It should not be base on the flow of water as that could be hard to
>>> determine - especially if the water is off when mapping.
>>>
>>> For example, 'a drain can be easily stepped over'?
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>>>
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>
> -- 
> Dave Swarthout
> Homer, Alaska
> Chiang Mai, Thailand
> Travel Blog at http://dswarthout.blogspot.com


Then what would you call a natural waterway that is too small to be a 
stream?

Mark





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