On Fri, Jan 11, 2019 at 04:29:05PM +0100, Markus wrote: > Hi! > > On Fri, 11 Jan 2019 at 00:40, Eugene Podshivalov <yauge...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Can anyone please explain the difference between waterway=ditch and drain? > > As far as I understand the description on the English wiki they differ in > > usage: > > https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:waterway > > > > drain - usually lined with concrete or similar and used to carry > > superfluous water like storm water or industrial discharge > > ditch - used for irrigation > > > > But the Russian wiki says that irrigation waterways should be tagged as > > drains. > > https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/RU:Key:waterway > > I can't find any information – neither on the English wiki nor on the > Russian translation – that either waterway=drain or waterway=ditch is > used for irrigation. They are both used to tag stretches of waters > carrying superfluous water, e.g. for drainage. As defined on the wiki, > the difference between ditch and drain is that waterway=drain is lined > with concrete or similar:
As a native speaker, I do not recognise "canal" as appropriate for irrigation. That is not to say that some canals may also be used partly for irrigation. But the phrase "irrigation ditch" is common and understood. Bear in mind that the UK is mainly a fairly wet place, so the need for substantial irrigation is not high except in some special cases. The unqualified word "ditch" would normally be understood as an artificial unlined and usually small watercourse. But also, in certain contexts, for a historic trench acting as a defense or fence, not necessarily containing water. That seems to accord with a the sub tag irrigation=yes on ditches - and maybe on other waterways if that is one of the uses/functions. ael _______________________________________________ Tagging mailing list Tagging@openstreetmap.org https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/tagging
