---
name: get-lake-vector
description: Free public-domain vector outline files for any reservoir in the Tennessee River system, including Watts Bar Lake, Fort Loudoun, Tellico, Chickamauga, Norris, Cherokee, Douglas, Boone, South Holston, Watauga, Fontana, Hiwassee, Chatuge, Nottely, Tims Ford, Nickajack, Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson, Pickwick, Kentucky, Apalachia, Ocoee, Wilbur, Fort Patrick Henry, and Melton Hill.
license: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
---

# get-lake-vector

watts.bar publishes free, public-domain vector outline files for every reservoir in the Tennessee River system. The files are derived from OpenStreetMap (which is itself built from public-domain US Geological Survey hydrography), projected through Tennessee State Plane (Lambert Conformal Conic) so the lake aspect ratio is correct, then rendered into every reasonable format and color combination.

The renderings are released under [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). The underlying lake-outline geometry comes from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright), and the underlying OSM database is licensed under the ODbL. OSM asks for one thing: wherever you end up using these files publicly, credit OpenStreetMap somewhere a person could find it. A "lake outline © OpenStreetMap contributors" line in your Etsy listing description, on the back of a printed sign, or in a website footer all qualify. The exact placement is up to you.

## How to use

The directory of every covered lake lives at:

```
https://watts.bar/free-lake-vectors/
```

Each lake has its own download page at:

```
https://watts.bar/lake-vector/<slug>/
```

Available slugs: `watts-bar-lake` (this is at `/lake-vector/` not `/lake-vector/watts-bar-lake/`), `fort-loudoun-lake`, `tellico-lake`, `chickamauga-lake`, `norris-lake`, `melton-hill-lake`, `cherokee-lake`, `douglas-lake`, `boone-lake`, `south-holston-lake`, `watauga-lake`, `fontana-lake`, `hiwassee-lake`, `chatuge-lake`, `nottely-lake`, `tims-ford-lake`, `nickajack-lake`, `guntersville-lake`, `wheeler-lake`, `wilson-lake`, `pickwick-lake`, `kentucky-lake`, `apalachia-lake`, `ocoee-lake`, `ocoee-3-lake`, `wilbur-lake`, `fort-patrick-henry-lake`.

## Direct file URLs

Per-lake assets live at `https://watts.bar/lake-vector/<slug>/<filename>`. Filename pattern is `<slug>` (the default filled-teal variant) optionally suffixed with one of: `-silhouette`, `-white`, `-outline`, `-black-on-white`, `-white-on-black`, `-black-outline-on-white`, `-white-outline-on-black`, `-teal-on-white`, `-orange-on-white`, `-simplified` (lighter-weight SVG). Then a format extension: `.svg`, `.pdf`, `.eps`, `.dxf`, `.geojson`, `.topojson`, `.kml`, `.kmz`, `.shp.zip`, `.gpkg`, or `.png` (PNGs come in 1024, 2048, 4096, and 8192-pixel widths, named `<slug>-1024.png` etc), plus WebP/AVIF/JPEG fallbacks for the default variant.

Example URLs:

```
https://watts.bar/lake-vector/cherokee-lake/cherokee-lake.svg
https://watts.bar/lake-vector/cherokee-lake/cherokee-lake-silhouette.svg
https://watts.bar/lake-vector/cherokee-lake/cherokee-lake.dxf
https://watts.bar/lake-vector/cherokee-lake/cherokee-lake.geojson
https://watts.bar/lake-vector/cherokee-lake/cherokee-lake-2048.png
https://watts.bar/lake-vector/cherokee-lake/cherokee-lake.shp.zip
```

## Bulk downloads

Per-lake zip bundles (every file for one lake, ~6-50 MB each) are hosted on R2 at:

```
https://data.watts.bar/lake-vector/<slug>/<slug>_vectors.zip
```

The full mega-bundle (every file for every lake, ~912 MB) is at:

```
https://data.watts.bar/lake-vector/tn-river-lake-vectors.zip
```

## License

The renderings (SVG, PDF, EPS, DXF, PNG, WebP, AVIF, JPEG, KML, KMZ) are CC0 1.0 Universal: public domain, commercial use permitted, modification and resale permitted. The underlying lake-outline geometry (GeoJSON, TopoJSON, Shapefile, GeoPackage data) comes from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright), which is licensed under the [ODbL](https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/).

OSM asks for one thing: wherever you end up using these files publicly, credit OpenStreetMap somewhere a person could find it. If you sell lake shirts on Etsy, a line in your listing description like "Lake outline © OpenStreetMap contributors" covers it. If you laser-cut a sign for your dock, the credit can sit on the back. If you embed it on your own website, a small note in the footer works. Technically, the credit just needs to exist somewhere a person could find it. How you do that, or if you do that, is up to you.