Inland Waterway Buoys of Lithuania
Based on data from the Lithuanian Open Data Portal (data.gov.lt)
Why inland waterway buoys matter
Inland waterways may look calm and simple, but safe navigation on lagoons and reservoirs depends heavily on accurate buoyage. Shallow areas, narrow fairways, changing depths and seasonal water level variations all make visual navigation aids essential.
Two of Lithuania’s most important inland water bodies — Kuršių marios and Kauno marios — are equipped with a dedicated system of inland waterway buoys guiding vessels along defined routes and safe water areas.
The data source
Official information about these buoys is published as open data by Lithuanian authorities via the Lithuanian Open Data Portal (data.gov.lt).
The dataset includes:
- Buoy names and identifiers
- Geographic coordinates (latitude / longitude)
- Associated water body
- Basic marking and classification details
From open data to a real chart
While the dataset itself is publicly available, raw tables and spreadsheets are difficult to interpret spatially.
Using this open data, the inland waterway buoys of Kuršių marios and Kauno marios have been charted and visualised on KlaipėdaTraffic.lt, allowing users to see their real geographic placement on an interactive map.
This makes it possible to:
- Understand fairway structure at a glance
- See buoy spacing and alignment
- Relate buoy positions to shoreline and traffic areas
- Explore inland navigation visually, not just as data rows
Kuršių marios
Kuršių marios (the Curonian Lagoon) is a shallow and dynamic water body influenced by wind, sediment movement and seasonal conditions. Accurate buoyage is essential here, especially for small commercial vessels, fishing boats and recreational traffic.
Kauno marios
Kauno marios, Lithuania’s largest artificial water body, serves recreational, fishing and local transport purposes. Its wide surface hides underwater slopes and depth changes, making buoy guidance especially important.
Open data in action
This project demonstrates how open government data becomes truly useful when transformed into clear, accessible visual tools.
KlaipėdaTraffic.lt is an independent, non-official project. The buoy visualisations are provided for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended for navigation.
About KlaipėdaTraffic.lt
KlaipėdaTraffic.lt is an independent platform providing live AIS traffic and maritime visualisations for the Port of Klaipėda and surrounding waters, based on locally received data and custom-built processing pipelines.