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Sources selected for the question
Measurements and environmental context draw on scientific institutions, environment agencies and published research. Access and travel details use the relevant park authority, municipality, transport operator or attraction operator. Tourism organizations can explain local places, but promotional language is not independent evidence of quality or safety.
Each article keeps its bibliography and data notes in the compact, expandable panel at the end. Sources remain in the page’s HTML when that panel is closed. We link to the underlying source, not just a general search result.
Units and conversions
LakeAtlas displays US customary units first and metric equivalents in parentheses for every visitor. Published source pairs are retained when available; otherwise we convert from the original numeric value and round for readability. A rounded conversion is not a more precise measurement. Source titles, verbatim quotations, coordinates, dates and identifiers are unchanged.
Depths, elevations and short access distances use feet; lake dimensions and longer routes use miles; lake areas use square miles; water volumes use cubic miles. Scientific concentration uses micrograms per US gallon with the original micrograms per liter alongside it. Counts and time durations do not need conversion. Maps calculate each scale bar from its geographic projection. The source values and original units remain in our records, and collection sorting and bar proportions use the underlying metric data.
Conflicting measurements
Maximum depth, average depth, surface elevation and area describe different things. We state units, preserve published rounding and explain conversions. Area may vary with water level, island treatment or survey definition; a walking route is not a surveyed shoreline length.
When sources disagree, we choose a stated reference series and explain meaningful differences rather than average incompatible figures. Tahoe’s profile and comparisons, for example, consistently use UC Davis’s rounded area. Where an access source contradicts itself, we flag the uncertainty and avoid inventing a precise answer.
Research, checking and updates
For this edition, AI-assisted research retrieved primary sources, compared conflicting statements and recorded source links and checking dates. The workflow included checks of units, route distances, image licenses, map geometry and generated links. Those checks reduce errors; they do not make the information infallible or imply independent human verification of every statement.
Source-check and article-update dates belong to individual articles. Rebuilding the site or changing its navigation does not automatically refresh them. Substantive changes to facts, access information or advice should update the relevant article date. Seasonal information is labelled for the year checked; an old timetable is not carried forward as a promise for the next year.
AI assistance and editorial decisions
ChatGPT/Codex has assisted with research, drafting, source comparison, maps, code and automated checks. Zurab Koniashvili directs the project and decides what to publish. AI output is not itself a source. References must support the published claims, and uncertainty or unavailable verification should be disclosed rather than filled with plausible detail.
Visiting guidance and firsthand experience
The current articles provide researched guidance, not firsthand travel reports. Suggested visits combine published distances and access information with editorial planning judgement. We do not invent prices, opening hours, accessible routes or swimming conditions. Official booking and current-condition links help readers take an action after the article has explained the relevant issue.
Corrections
Use “Report a correction” on a lake article. When an authorized email is available, it opens a draft containing the article URL; otherwise it carries that URL to Contact. Include the statement, the proposed correction and a supporting source if possible. The email link opens a prepared message in your email app. You must send it yourself; LakeAtlas does not send it from this page.
Our correction standard is to compare a report with the best available evidence, amend confirmed factual errors in the article and shared comparison data, and explain significant changes in the article’s data notes. A substantive correction changes the article’s modification date; a spelling fix does not imply that all its facts were rechecked. There is no automatic publication of reports or guaranteed response time.
Maps and scale
Most collection silhouettes and the world locator use public-domain Natural Earth data. Whakatipu’s silhouette uses OpenStreetMap to show Frankton Arm more accurately. Each silhouette fits its own frame; their displayed sizes are not a like-for-like area comparison. Bled, Tahoe, and Whakatipu maps use OpenStreetMap shoreline geometry. The expanded regional maps use Natural Earth and OpenStreetMap geometry and source-located places, as identified in each map’s credit and downloadable data. Reservoir and changing-lake outlines are reference extents, not live shorelines. Each map identifies its data providers and includes LakeAtlas’s design credit. North arrows and distance scales apply to the main map; locator insets are separate views, and Bled’s transport inset has its own scale.
These are orientation maps, not route instructions, cadastral surveys, live access information or bathymetric surveys. Dashed lines identify selected political boundaries, not property ownership. Shorelines are generalized at the stated map scale; small islands or channels may be omitted. LakeAtlas branding does not transfer ownership of the source data. Downloadable OSM-derived map data remain under ODbL 1.0, with OpenStreetMap contributor attribution.
Photographs, reuse and rights
The Bled and Tahoe photographs show the actual lakes and retain their creator, source and license credits. Processing notes identify resizing or cropping. A photograph shows a past moment and does not establish today’s conditions.
Third-party photographs and data retain their own licenses. Follow the license attached to the particular asset; do not assume it also licenses the surrounding article. For a rights question or a proposed reuse that is unclear, use Contact and identify the page and asset.
Coverage and comparisons
The country and continent pages are navigation into the existing collection. They do not claim comprehensive coverage. Area and depth sorting apply only to the current collection. A raw database record would not automatically become a researched article or a page approved for search indexing.
Editorial standards updated 9 October 2026. Editorial responsibility · Privacy & Cookies