Sources and credits

ATREE-CSEI, from the BBMP lake master list

• Map of Lakes in Bengaluru Urban and Rural Districts (opens in a new tab)

  Used for lake outlines. Date not stated. Licence: CC BY.

  Credit: Lake outlines: ATREE-CSEI

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Lakes Division

• Lakes Monitoring System (opens in a new tab)

  Used for lake locations and BBMP lake pages. Date not stated. Licence not stated.

  Credit: Lake locations: BBMP Lakes Monitoring System

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), via OpenCity

• Lakes in BBMP Custody (opens in a new tab)

  Used for who looks after each lake and its extent on land records. Date not stated. Licence not stated.

  Credit: BBMP, via OpenCity

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

• Water Quality Data for Lakes and Ponds - NWMP 2021 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for older water tests. As of 2021. Licence: Other (Public Domain), as marked on OpenCity.

  Credit: Water quality 2021: Central Pollution Control Board, NWMP

Citizen Matters

• Lake groups in Bengaluru (directory) (opens in a new tab)

  Used for residents' groups. As of Jul 2022. Licence not stated.

  Credit: Citizen Matters

Computed for this project from ATREE-CSEI streams, Copernicus DEM and OpenStreetMap rivers

• Lake cascade derived from the ATREE-CSEI stream network and Copernicus DEM flow routing (opens in a new tab)

  Used for which lake drains into which. As of Sep 2026. Licence: CC BY (ATREE-CSEI streams); Copernicus DEM licence; ODbL (OpenStreetMap river names).

  Credit: Streams: ATREE-CSEI. Copernicus DEM (c) DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and (c) Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA. River names (c) OpenStreetMap contributors

Department of Mines and Geology, Karnataka (via India Water Portal and OpenCity)

• Bangalore Lakes Water Quality Results (2011) (opens in a new tab)

  Used for older water tests. As of 2011. Licence not stated.

  Credit: Water quality 2011: Department of Mines and Geology, Karnataka

Department of Survey, Settlement and Land Records, Government of Karnataka

Licence not stated. Credit: Lake maps: Survey, Settlement and Land Records Department, Karnataka

• Lake (Digital) maps, Bengaluru Urban (opens in a new tab)

  Used for official lake maps. Date not stated.

• Lake (Survey) maps, Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural (opens in a new tab)

  Used for official lake maps. Date not stated.

Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), for the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority

• Inventorisation of Water Bodies in Bengaluru Metropolitan Area (BMA), Volume II: Lake Database and Atlas (opens in a new tab)

  Used for lost lakes, encroachment and condition in 2018. As of Mar 2018. Licence: Public domain (as stated by OpenCity).

  Credit: Water body inventory: EMPRI for KLCDA, 2018

Esri

• World Imagery (opens in a new tab)

  Date not stated. Licence: Esri terms of use.

  Credit: Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community

European Commission Joint Research Centre / Google

Licence: CC BY 4.0. Credit: Source: EC JRC/Google (Pekel et al. 2016, Nature 540, 418-422)

• Global Surface Water v1.5, 1984-2024 (occurrence, change, seasonality, recurrence, transitions, extent) (opens in a new tab)

  Used for how often each lake held water. As of 2024.

• Global Surface Water v1.4 yearly water classification history, 1984-2021 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water area in each year. As of 2021.

European Space Agency

• ESA WorldCover 10 m 2021 v200, tile N12E075 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for land around each lake. As of 2021. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: (c) ESA WorldCover project 2021 / Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2021) processed by ESA WorldCover consortium

European Space Agency, Copernicus programme

• Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m digital surface model) (opens in a new tab)

  Used for valleys and elevation. As of 2011-2015. Licence: Copernicus DEM licence (free use with attribution).

  Credit: Copernicus DEM (c) DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and (c) Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA

European Space Agency, Copernicus programme; cloud-optimised copies by Element 84 Earth Search

• Sentinel-2 L2A median composite, dry season 2026-03-20 to 2026-05-19 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for open water and floating weed today. As of 19 May 2026. Licence: Copernicus Sentinel data terms and conditions (free, full and open).

  Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026

• Sentinel-2 L2A median composite, postmonsoon season 2025-10-01 to 2025-12-28 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for open water and floating weed today. As of 28 Dec 2025. Licence: Copernicus Sentinel data terms and conditions (free, full and open).

  Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025

GBIF.org, with data from eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), iNaturalist and other publishers

• GBIF occurrence search: records within 50 m of each lake outline (opens in a new tab)

  Used for birds and other species. As of 11 Sep 2026. Licence: Per dataset, by record share: CC BY 4.0 99.1%, CC BY NC 4.0 0.9%, CC0 1.0 0.0%.

  Credit: Species records: GBIF.org occurrence data, mostly eBird

Government of Karnataka (Expert Committee chaired by N. Lakshman Rau)

• Report of the Expert Committee for Preservation, Restoration or Otherwise of the Existing Tanks in Bangalore Metropolitan Area (opens in a new tab)

  As of 1986. Licence not stated.

  Credit: Lakshman Rau Expert Committee report, Government of Karnataka, 1986

Greater Bengaluru Authority / Government of Karnataka, via OpenCity

• GBA Wards Map with Reservation - March 2026 (369 wards, five city corporations) (opens in a new tab)

  Used for ward and city corporation. As of Mar 2026. Licence: Public Domain.

  Credit: Ward boundaries: Greater Bengaluru Authority, via OpenCity

Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2025 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2025. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2025, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2024 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2024. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2024, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2023 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2023. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2023, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2022 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2022. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2022, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2021 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2021. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2021, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2020 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2020. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2020, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2019 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2019. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2019, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2018 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2018. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2018, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

• Sentinel-2 10m Land Use/Land Cover 2017 (Impact Observatory annual land cover v2) (opens in a new tab)

  As of 2017. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Esri Land Cover 2017, produced by Impact Observatory, Microsoft and Esri, CC BY 4.0

iNaturalist (California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic Society) and its observers

• iNaturalist verifiable observations within 50 m of each lake outline (opens in a new tab)

  Used for wildlife sightings. As of 11 Sep 2026. Licence: Each observation carries its observer's license (CC-BY-NC 54.4%, ALL-RIGHTS-RESERVED 24.3%, CC-BY 11.6%, CC-BY-NC-ND 4.6%, CC0 3.3%); we publish counts and species names only.

  Credit: Observations: iNaturalist community, via iNaturalist.org

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB)

Licence not stated. Credit: Water quality: Karnataka State Pollution Control Board

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of July-2026 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jul 2026.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of June-2026 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jun 2026.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of May-2026 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of May 2026.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of April-2026 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Apr 2026.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of March-2026 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Mar 2026.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of February-2026 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Feb 2026.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of January -2026 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jan 2026.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of December -2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Dec 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of November -2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Nov 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of October -2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Oct 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of September -2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Sep 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of August -2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Aug 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of July-2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jul 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of June-2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jun 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of May-2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of May 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of April-2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Apr 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of March-2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Mar 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of February-2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Feb 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of January-2025 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jan 2025.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of December-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Dec 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of November-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Nov 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of October-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Oct 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of September-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Sep 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of August-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Aug 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of July-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jul 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of June-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jun 2024.

• Water quality Data of Bengaluru lakes under National water Quality Monitoring Programme for the Month of May-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of May 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of April-2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Apr 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru lakes for the Month of March- 2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Mar 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru lakes for the Month of February- 202 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Feb 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru lakes for the Month of January- 2024 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jan 2024.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru lakes for the Month of December- 2023 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Dec 2023.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru lakes for the Month of October 2023 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Oct 2023.

• Water Quality Data of Bengaluru lakes for the Month of September 2023 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Sep 2023.

• PDF Water Quality Data of Bengaluru Lakes for the Month of August -2023 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Aug 2023.

• PDF Water Quality Data of Benagaluru Lakes for the Month of July-2023 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water quality. As of Jul 2023.

Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC), Karnataka GIS, via OpenCity

Licence: Public domain (as marked on OpenCity). Credit: Water-body polygons: KSRSAC / KGIS, via OpenCity

• Bengaluru Urban Lakes (Tanks) Map (opens in a new tab)

  Used for outlines for lakes missing from the ATREE map. Date not stated.

• Bengaluru Urban Ponds Map (opens in a new tab)

  Used for outlines for lakes missing from the ATREE map. Date not stated.

• Bengaluru Urban Wetlands Map (opens in a new tab)

  Used for outlines for lakes missing from the ATREE map. Date not stated.

Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA)

• List of Lakes in Bengaluru (lakes under BBMP, BDA, Forest Department and BMRCL) (opens in a new tab)

  Used for who looks after each lake. As of 2024. Licence not stated (OpenCity's mirror, 'Bengaluru Lakes and Their Maintainers', marks it public domain).

  Credit: KTCDA, Government of Karnataka

Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, via OpenCity

• Water Bodies Census, 1st census (reference year 2017-18), Bengaluru Urban and Rural (opens in a new tab)

  Used for water Bodies Census entry. As of 5 Jun 2022. Licence: Public domain (as marked on OpenCity).

  Credit: Water Bodies Census, Ministry of Jal Shakti

OpenStreetMap contributors

Licence: ODbL 1.0. Credit: © OpenStreetMap contributors

• OpenStreetMap boundaries of Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru North (formerly Bengaluru Rural) districts (opens in a new tab)

  Used for outlines, Kannada names and nearby treatment plants. As of 14 Sep 2026.

• OpenStreetMap water areas, treatment plants and lakeside parks around Bengaluru (opens in a new tab)

  Used for outlines, Kannada names and nearby treatment plants. As of 11 Sep 2026.

Survey of India

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 H/9 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1980 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1980. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 G/12 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1978 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1978. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 G/11 (Karnataka: Kolar District), first metric edition, published 1975 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1975. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 G/7 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1975 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1975. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 G/16 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1974 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1974. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 G/8 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1974 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1974. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 G/4 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1973 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1973. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 H/10 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1973 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1973. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 H/13 (Karnataka: Kolar District), first metric edition, published 1973 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1973. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 H/5 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1973 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1973. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India 1:50,000 sheet 57 H/6 (Karnataka: Bangalore District), first metric edition, published 1973 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1973. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India one-inch sheet 57 H/9 (Madras & Mysore: Bangalore District), fifth edition, surveyed 1912-13 and 1924-25, revised 1943, published 1945 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1945. Licence: Public domain.

  Credit: Survey of India map, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Survey of India one-inch sheet 57 G/12 (Mysore: Bangalore District), third (revised) edition, surveyed 1912-13 and 1924-25, published 1927 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1927. Licence: Public domain.

  Credit: Survey of India map, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• Survey of India one-inch sheet 57 H/10 (Mysore: Bangalore District), published 1915 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1915. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India one-inch sheet 57 G/16 (Mysore: Bangalore District), published 1914 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1914. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India one-inch sheet 57 G/8 (Mysore: Bangalore District), published 1914 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1914. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

• Survey of India one-inch sheet 57 H/5 (Mysore: Bangalore District), published 1914 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1914. Licence: CC BY 4.0.

  Credit: Survey of India map, scanned collection by John Brown, CC BY 4.0, via Zenodo

U.S. Army Map Service

Licence: Public domain (U.S. Government work). Credit: U.S. Army Map Service map, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

• U.S. Army Map Service, India and Pakistan 1:250,000, series U502, sheet ND 43-12 Tumkur, edition 1-AMS, compiled 1954 from Survey of India one-inch maps of 1945-46 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1955.

• U.S. Army Map Service, India and Pakistan 1:250,000, series U502, sheet ND 43-16 Mysore, edition 1-AMS, compiled 1954 from Survey of India one-inch maps of 1945-46 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1955.

• U.S. Army Map Service, India and Pakistan 1:250,000, series U502, sheet ND 44-13 Bangalore, edition 1-AMS, compiled 1954 from Survey of India one-inch maps of 1945-46 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1955.

• U.S. Army Map Service, India and Pakistan 1:250,000, series U502, sheet ND 44-9 Kolar, edition 1-AMS, compiled 1954 from Survey of India one-inch maps of 1945-46 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for whether a lake was on old survey maps. As of 1955.

Wikidata contributors

• Wikidata items for lakes, reservoirs, ponds and wetlands around Bengaluru (opens in a new tab)

  Used for kannada names and links. As of 11 Sep 2026. Licence: CC0 1.0.

  Credit: Wikidata

Wikipedia contributors

• English Wikipedia article lead summaries (opens in a new tab)

  Used for lake summaries. As of 11 Sep 2026. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.

  Credit: Text from English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Publisher not stated; listed on OpenCity under Bengaluru Lakes Data and Reports

• Jakkur Lake: analysis 2016 (opens in a new tab)

  Used for older water tests. As of 2016. Licence not stated.

  Credit: Jakkur Lake water analysis 2015-16: Bengaluru Lakes Data and Reports, OpenCity

• Bangalore Lakes - Water Quality (2015) (opens in a new tab)

  Used for older water tests. As of 2015. Licence not stated.

  Credit: Water quality 2015: Bengaluru Lakes Data and Reports, OpenCity