SGU's springs archive (natural groundwater outflows)

Springs, i.e. places where groundwater naturally flows out of the ground, are important for specific species and in many cases have great cultural and historical significance. Information about where springs are located in the landscape can be used to select sampling points for groundwater monitoring and is important for protecting springs during forest management and logging. The information can also be used when reporting to the EU's Habitats Directive.

The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) manages a database with information on approximately 14,500 springs, including location, flow, geological environment, and, to some extent, water quality. SGU is responsible for updating and publishing the information. On behalf of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, SLU has collected information about the springs from various archives and databases, including Artportalen (The Swedish Species Observation System).

Data can be downloaded in Geopackage format from the SGU website: Källor.

The data set is also available as a viewing service (WMS; link above) and can be displayed. i SGU's mapviewer.