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Derived data product DEA Waterbodies

  • Find dams, lakes and large rivers

  • Watch waterbodies change over time

  • Inform decisions for drought, fire and farming

graphic blue hatched overlay showing waterbody shapes on brown satellite image
Updated
Continuously
Satellite data from
Landsat
Data since
1987
Released
2023

Quick links

Find water across the country

Locate over 300,000 waterbodies across Australia and look back at their changes over three decades with Digital Earth Australia (DEA) Waterbodies. Monitor critical lakes and dams, including hard-to-reach waterbodies in remote areas and on large properties

graphic blue hatched overlay showing complex waterbody shapes on brown satellite image with flowgraph overlays

DEA Waterbodies defines polygon boundaries around the significant water areas of Western Australia’s Lake Carnegie, revealing changes in wet area within each polygon over time

map of Australia with waterways identified in bright blue colour

Explore the online map to find all waterbodies larger than 2,700 sq m (three Landsat satellite image pixels) that are present more than 10% of the time

man in blue top and cap bends in a wetland with measuring equipment

Download the data to identify when waterbodies have increased or decreased their wet surface area, informing plans for the future

Why detect waterbodies?

  • Gain insights into the severity and spatial distribution of drought

  • Identify potential water sources for aerial firefighting during bushfires

  • Understand local through to national-scale surface water dynamics over time and geography

  • Get deeper insight into DEA Water Observations data

gathering of people wearing yellow CFA jackets face a landing helicopter

Imagery for impact Finding water to fight fire

Satellite data maps of Australian waterbodies are fuelling a more confident flightpath for Victoria’s Country Fire Authority

Related resources

leafless trees at muddy edge of a distant waterbody

Journal article

‘Mapping and Monitoring the Multi-Decadal Dynamics of Australia’s Open Waterbodies Using Landsat’

Journal article Read the paper
real-colour satellite image of lake system in brown landscape

DEA Waterbodies User Guide and FAQs

Learn how to add Waterbodies layers to DEA Maps and get the details on how the product defines waterbodies and wetness

DEA Waterbodies User Guide and FAQs Get the guide
Smiling woman in red top standing in front of yellow satellite image with blue wiggling water

Seminar: Australian Water

Hear from Digital Earth Australia’s Dr Claire Krause about using satellite information in decision making

Seminar: Australian Water Watch here

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