EIONET surface water bodies - Web Service

The service contains information on European surface bodies reported to the European Environment Agency. The information was reported to the European Environment Agency under the State of Environment reporting obligations. For the EU27 countries, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom, the EIONET spatial data was consolidated with the spatial data reported under the Water Framework Directive reporting obligations. For these countries, the reference spatial data set is the "WISE WFD Reference Spatial Datasets reported under Water Framework Directive". Relevant concepts: Surface water body: Body of surface water means a discrete and significant element of surface water such as a lake, a reservoir, a stream, river or canal, part of a stream, river or canal, a transitional water or a stretch of coastal water. Surface water: Inland waters, except groundwater; transitional waters and coastal waters, except in respect of chemical status for which it shall also include territorial waters. Inland water: All standing or flowing water on the surface of the land, and all groundwater on the landward side of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured. River: Body of inland water flowing for the most part on the surface of the land but which may flow underground for part of its course. Lake: Body of standing inland surface water. Transitional waters: Bodies of surface water in the vicinity of river mouths which are partly saline in character as a result of their proximity to coastal waters but which are substantially influenced by freshwater flows. Coastal water: Surface water on the landward side of a line, every point of which is at a distance of one nautical mile on the seaward side from the nearest point of the baseline from which the breadth of territorial waters is measured, extending where appropriate up to the outer limit of transitional waters.