Map layer: Water
The Water category brings together layers for watercourses, water bodies, sewage systems, flood hazard and groundwater. The layers are useful when you plan works near rivers and streams, when you need to understand water and sewer infrastructure in an area, and when you assess flood risk where the more detailed flood zone maps in Risk do not cover the watercourse. Data comes mainly from NVE and Kartverket.
Screenshot: Watercourses and catchments enabled over central Oslo.
Layers in this category (19)
| Layer | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Watercourses and catchments | Rivers, streams, lakes and glaciers within a catchment | Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). Datasets: Watercourses and catchments |
| Protected watercourses | Watercourses protected against hydropower development | Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). Datasets: Protected watercourses |
| Water bodies | Surface water and groundwater bodies under the water regulations | Miljødirektoratet |
| Water & sewer assets along roads | Water and sewer manholes and structures along roads | Statens vegvesen |
| Wastewater facilities | Municipal wastewater discharges | Miljødirektoratet |
| Manhole cover, drain and hydrant | Visible water and sewer infrastructure at the ground surface | Norges vassdrags-og energidirektorat |
| High tide / storm surge | Storm surge adjusted for climate to 2050/2100, return periods of 20/200/1,000 years | Kartverket |
| Caution surfaces, (regulated) water, dams | National caution map for flooding and dam failure | Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE) |
| Flood areas, flood protection areas, and flood events | Detailed flood zones, flood protection and historical events | Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE) |
| Groundwater (GRANADA) | National groundwater database with wells and springs | Norges geologiske undersøkelse (NGU) |
| Drainage lines | Drainage lines derived from elevation data at 50 cm resolution | Geodata AS |
| Groundwater boreholes | Drilled groundwater wells and energy wells | Norges geologiske undersøkelse (NGU) |
| Soil moisture | Calculated distance to the nearest point saturated with surface water | Kartverket |
| Nature and cultural areas | Cultural landscapes - selected. The dataset shows areas covered by the Utvalgte kulturlandskap i jordbruket initiative. | Miljødirektoratet |
| Area type | The main division in AR5 is area type, based on criteria for vegetation, natural drainage and cultural influence. | Norsk institutt for bioøkonomi (NIBIO) |
| Depth (sea) | Coastline contour, constructed coast and skerries are referenced to mean high water. | Kartverket |
| Depth (lake) | NVE's lake database contains hydrological information and a national serial number for lakes and ponds larger than 2,500 m² (2.5 decares), based on Kartverket's N50 map data. | Norges vassdrags-og energidirektorat |
| Aquaculture register | Aquaculture licences and decisions | Fiskeridirektoratet |
| River network | The national river network ELVIS, from main rivers to the full network | Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE) |
Watercourses and catchments
Shows the connected watercourse system of rivers, streams, lakes and glaciers within a catchment, as surfaces. The river lines themselves are in River network. Data from Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). Useful for understanding the natural drainage direction of water in a planning area, and for identifying whether a property lies close to a watercourse with possible restrictions on works under the Water Resources Act (vannressursloven).
About the map layer
Hydrographic division (REGINE) of rivers, lakes and glacier systems into catchments. Includes criteria for river length, lake size and regulation. Updated continuously by NVE.
Update frequency: Real time.
Protected watercourses
Watercourses protected against hydropower development through the protection plans adopted by the Storting. A protected watercourse cannot be developed with a power plant. Relevant for properties near rivers in mountain or rural areas where hydropower could be an option. Data from Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE).
About the map layer
Watercourses protected against hydropower development.
Update frequency: Weekly.
Water bodies
Surface water and groundwater bodies classified under the EU water regulations, as implemented in Norwegian law. A surface water body is a delimited and significant volume of surface water. The authorities are responsible for ensuring that these reach good ecological status. Planned works that affect water bodies may require an aquatic environment assessment. Data from Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). Datasets: Water bodies.
About the map layer
Shows water bodies for surface water and groundwater. A surface water body is a significant volume of water (catchment area for a river and surface area for a lake and coastal water). In addition to hydrographic conditions, the extent is defined by criteria for water type, pressures, ecological status or potential and chemical status. A groundwater body is defined as a delimited body that either produces 10 m³ per day or can supply 50 people. Water bodies form the basic unit in the water regulations, where the main purpose is to secure integrated water management from mountain to fjord. For surface water, the following information is held for each water body: whether it is natural or heavily modified, ecological status or potential, chemical status, environmental objectives and a risk assessment of whether the environmental objective will be met by 2021. For groundwater, the following information is held: quantitative status, chemical status, environmental objectives and a risk assessment of whether the environmental objective will be met by 2021.
Update frequency: Weekly.
Water & sewer assets along roads
Water and sewer manholes and structures along roads from the national road database (NVDB). Useful for mapping existing water and sewer connection points near a plot, and for assessing whether a new property can be connected to public water and sewage.
About the map layer
Selected NVDB objects related to water and sewage (manholes, pipelines, pipe trenches, ditches, toilet facilities). Weekly updates based on the latest NVDB data.
Update frequency: Weekly.
Wastewater facilities
Overview of municipal wastewater facilities and discharge points from the register held by Miljødirektoratet. Useful for identifying wastewater infrastructure in an area and for assessing whether a development affects existing wastewater routes.
About the map layer
Overview of discharges of municipal wastewater (KOSTRA reporting). Updated continuously by Miljødirektoratet.
Update frequency: Real time.
Manhole cover, drain and hydrant
Manholes, drains and fire hydrants registered at the ground surface. Useful for locating water and sewer access points in construction projects, and for planning excavation without hitting pipes.
About the map layer
Contains the pipe network that is visible at the ground surface (manhole cover, drain and hydrant), not the complete pipe network. The map layer is based on LedningVA from FKB.
Update frequency: Real time.
High tide / storm surge
Mean high water and calculated storm surge for return periods of 20, 200 and 1,000 years, adjusted for climate to 2050 and 2100. Data from Kartverket. Relevant for coastal properties and for planning work where sea level rise up to 2100 must be taken into account. Also available in Risk. Datasets: High tide / storm surge.
About the map layer
Mean high water and storm surge with 20, 200 and 1,000-year return periods, including climate-adjusted projections for 2050 and 2100.
Update frequency: Monthly.
Caution surfaces, (regulated) water, dams
The national caution map for flooding and dam information from NVE. It covers more ground than the detailed flood zone maps, but with lower precision. It also shows downstream consequence areas for dam failure. Also available in Risk.
About the map layer
NVE's caution map for flooding gives an overview of areas that may be exposed to flood hazard, along with regulated water bodies and dams in Norway. The map must not be confused with flood zone maps, which show which areas are actually flooded and with what return period. The caution map is more general and points out areas where flood hazard should be assessed more closely, particularly for new development. It is used as the first basis for assessment in impact assessments and in risk and vulnerability analyses linked to the municipal master plan.
Update frequency: Monthly.
Flood areas, flood protection areas, and flood events
Detailed flood zones, flood protection measures (walls, embankments) and historical flood events from NVE for the best mapped watercourses. Higher precision than the caution surfaces, but covering fewer watercourses. Also available in Risk.
About the map layer
This map layer gives a detailed overview of flood-prone areas, flood protection zones and historical flood events in Norway, with particular focus on flood risk assessment. The flood zone map shows which areas are flooded in a flood situation and states the return periods for such events. Selected watercourse stretches with a high damage potential have been mapped to give municipalities a better basis for land use planning and emergency preparedness. NVE has developed guidelines for how flood hazard is to be assessed and integrated into municipal land use plans. The building regulations set safety requirements for different building types. Most buildings must be safe against a 200-year flood. This map layer must not be confused with NVE's caution map for flooding, which gives a more general overview of flood-prone areas, regulated water bodies and dams. The caution map indicates areas where flood hazard should be assessed more closely, particularly for new development. Even if the flood zone map does not show flood hazard in a given area, this may be because the area has not been mapped by NVE. In such cases, we recommend that you also check the caution map.
Update frequency: Monthly.
Groundwater (GRANADA)
The national groundwater database GRANADA from Norges geologiske undersøkelse (NGU). Shows groundwater wells, springs and groundwater bodies. Relevant for rural properties without a connection to municipal water works, and for developers considering ground source heat or a groundwater-based water supply. Datasets: Groundwater (GRANADA).
About the map layer
National groundwater database: wells, springs, exploratory drillings, quality, depth to bedrock, borehole parks and monitoring.
Update frequency: Weekly.
Sublayers (24)
| Sublayers | Description |
|---|---|
| Groundwater monitoring – map info | Information layer for groundwater monitoring maps. |
| Borehole park – map info | Information layer for borehole parks (boreholes). |
| Groundwater monitoring – area | Areas linked to groundwater monitoring. |
| Borehole park area | Area extent of a borehole park (boreholes). |
| Dredged area boundary | Boundary of a dredged area. |
| Monitoring well | Well used for groundwater monitoring. |
| Monitoring spring | Spring monitored for groundwater data. |
| Borehole in borehole park | Individual borehole in a borehole park. |
| Energy well (geothermal) | Well used for ground source heat energy. |
| Well – unknown use | Well with an unknown or unspecified purpose. |
| Well – water supply | Well used for water supply. |
| Exploratory drilling | Test or exploratory drillings. |
| Groundwater boreholes | The dataset gives a national overview of drilled groundwater wells, energy wells and natural groundwater springs (previously called kilder). Data owner: Norges geologiske undersøkelse. National dataset. |
| Groundwater spring | Natural groundwater spring. |
| Borehole park | Cluster or field of boreholes, often for energy use. |
| Borehole – depth to bedrock | Measured depth from the surface to bedrock. |
| Borehole – minimum depth to bedrock | Smallest recorded depth to bedrock. |
| Borehole – drilled depth | Total drilled depth of the borehole. |
| Borehole – minimum depth to bedrock, text | Text labels for the minimum depth to bedrock. |
| Borehole – depth to bedrock, text | Text labels for depth to bedrock. |
| Borehole – drilled depth, text | Text labels for drilled depth. |
| Groundwater monitoring – point | Point features used in groundwater monitoring. |
| Groundwater points – regional | Regional set of groundwater points. |
| Groundwater points – national | National set of groundwater points. |
Drainage lines
Drainage lines calculated from elevation data (hoydedata.no) at 50 cm resolution. They show terrain-based water paths that are not necessarily mapped streams, but that matter for surface water management. Mapped watercourses with names are in River network. Useful when planning surface water measures and for understanding natural runoff from a plot. Data from Geodata AS. Datasets: Drainage lines.
About the map layer
Drainage lines are derived from hoydedata.no at a resolution of 50 cm. The lines cover about 99% of the country and are placed where water collects over an area larger than 1 daa (1,000 m²). Before the analysis was run, sinks in the terrain models were filled. Buildings, culverts and pipe culverts have not been edited. The analyses were carried out by splitting the areas as in NVE's Regine surfaces, and the attributes from that dataset were then added to the lines.
Update frequency: When the source changes.
Groundwater boreholes
A national overview of drilled groundwater wells and energy wells registered in NGU's well database. Relevant for properties where a ground source heat pump is being considered, and for checking whether neighbouring plots already have energy wells that could affect the thermal groundwater balance.
About the map layer
The dataset gives a national overview of drilled groundwater wells, energy wells and natural groundwater springs.
Update frequency: Monthly.
Filtering
The filter lets you narrow by Type, Geological medium, Drilling date and Well use scope.
Soil moisture
The calculated height difference between a point and the nearest point where surface water collects. It gives an indicative picture of soil moisture and drainage conditions on a plot, which matters when you assess foundation conditions and when you identify possible surface water problems during intense rainfall. Data from Kartverket. Datasets: Soil moisture.
About the map layer
The soil moisture map states the height difference in centimetres between a point and the nearest point calculated to be water-saturated.
Update frequency: When the source changes.
Aquaculture register
An overview of aquaculture licences and decisions registered with Fiskeridirektoratet. The layer is also available under Coast and fishing. Datasets: Aquaculture register.
About the map layer
Licences and decisions for aquaculture sites, including location, species, capacity, biomass, escapes and environmental surveys.
Update frequency: Monthly.
River network
The national river network ELVIS, from main rivers at overview level to the full network when you zoom in. These are mapped watercourses with names and network topology: which river this is, and where it flows on to.
Three layers in this category show water, and they answer different questions:
- River network shows registered watercourses as lines. Use it when you need to refer to a specific watercourse, for example under the Water Resources Act.
- Drainage lines are calculated from elevation data, not mapped streams. Use them for surface water and runoff from a plot.
- Watercourses and catchments shows catchments as surfaces (REGINE). Use it to see which catchment the property drains to.
Source: Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE).
About the map layer
The national river network ELVIS, from main rivers at overview level to the full network when you zoom in. Used to see where the water flows in relation to a property. Source: NVE.