Waterscape dataset of the municipality of Girona.
Fiona Corominas, David Cunillera-Montcusí, Luis Martín, Dani Boix, Jordi Bou
Abstract
Open AccessThis dataset presents a detailed cartographic and classification of freshwater body types within the Girona's municipality territory to support integrated urban planning and ecological conservation strategies. The data were collected through a systematic spatial analysis of water bodies, combining GIS mapping and field validation techniques to characterize the water bodies and cartography aquatic systems across the urban and peri-urban landscape. The resulting database, that was converted to a grid with 100 × 100 m cells, categorizes each water body according to four key typologies: type of aquatic system (F1: lentic or lotic), degree of urbanization (F2: urban or peri-urban), water permanence (F3: permanent or temporary), and geographical location (F4: central or peripheral). Each water body is also georeferenced and quantified by surface area (m²), enabling comparative analysis across categories. Griona's waterscape is dominated by lotic water bodies and permanent hydroperiods. Lotic water bodies are more distributed on the peri-urban area contrasting with lentic ones, which are located more within the urban area. The distribution pattern of the waterscape over the geographical location shows a similar pattern to the degree of urbanization, with a small difference on lentic water bodies. This dataset provides a resource for understanding the structure and characteristics of urban and peri‑urban freshwater systems. Through integrating hydrological and spatial data into a cohesive framework, it can support decision-making in land-use planning, conservation prioritization, and sustainable urban development, while also serving as a valuable tool for further research and applied modelling.