FeaturesRivers

FeaturesRivers is an open, standardized dataset and API designed to catalog river-related features across regions. It aggregates geographical features such as river centerlines, banks, floodplains, tributaries, dams, gauges, and land-use attributes to support hydrological modeling, environmental assessment, and infrastructure planning.

Data model: The core entities include River, Reach, Node, and Feature, with attributes for name, length, flow, and risk factors. Geometry is described using common GIS types such as LineString for channels and Polygon for floodplains. Metadata follows widely used schemas to facilitate interoperability.

Data sources and licensing: FeaturesRivers compiles data from satellite imagery, national agencies, research projects, and citizen science contributions. Data are versioned and made available under an open license that permits non-commercial use and redistribution, subject to attribution.

Access and tools: An API provides programmatic access for spatial queries, attribute filtering, and derived metrics. Integrations with GIS platforms (for example, exporting GeoJSON or Shapefiles) and compatibility with standards such as GeoJSON and ISO 19115 are supported.

Applications: The dataset supports catchment delineation, flood mapping, habitat suitability analyses, river restoration planning, and infrastructure siting. It enables reproducible analyses by providing transparent data provenance and version history.

Governance and community: FeaturesRivers is maintained by a community-driven initiative with version control, governance guidelines, and periodic reviews to improve data quality and coverage. Contributions follow documented data-collection protocols and quality checks.

Limitations: Coverage and resolution vary by region, and data quality depends on source reliability. Time lags in updates and differing national conventions can introduce inconsistencies across the dataset.