diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 3ab242d7..3add6200 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -530,7 +530,6 @@ function generate() {
     reGraph();
     drawCoastline();
 
-    elevateLakes();
     Rivers.generate();
     defineBiomes();
 
@@ -1122,22 +1121,6 @@ function reMarkFeatures() {
   TIME && console.timeEnd("reMarkFeatures");
 }
 
-// temporary elevate some lakes to resolve depressions and flux the water to form an open (exorheic) lake
-function elevateLakes() {
-  if (templateInput.value === "Atoll") return; // no need for Atolls
-  TIME && console.time('elevateLakes');
-  const cells = pack.cells, features = pack.features;
-  const maxCells = cells.i.length / 100; // size limit; let big lakes be closed (endorheic)
-  cells.i.forEach(i => {
-    if (cells.h[i] >= 20) return;
-    if (features[cells.f[i]].group !== "freshwater" || features[cells.f[i]].cells > maxCells) return;
-    cells.h[i] = 20;
-    //debug.append("circle").attr("cx", cells.p[i][0]).attr("cy", cells.p[i][1]).attr("r", .5).attr("fill", "blue");
-  });
-
-  TIME && console.timeEnd('elevateLakes');
-}
-
 // assign biome id for each cell
 function defineBiomes() {
   TIME && console.time("defineBiomes");
@@ -1145,7 +1128,6 @@ function defineBiomes() {
   cells.biome = new Uint8Array(cells.i.length); // biomes array
 
   for (const i of cells.i) {
-    if (f[cells.f[i]].group === "freshwater") cells.h[i] = 19; // de-elevate lakes; here to save some resources
     const t = temp[cells.g[i]]; // cell temperature
     const h = cells.h[i]; // cell height
     const m = h < 20 ? 0 : calculateMoisture(i); // cell moisture
diff --git a/modules/river-generator.js b/modules/river-generator.js
index 078392e1..54fc1b3a 100644
--- a/modules/river-generator.js
+++ b/modules/river-generator.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
       .map((h, i) => h < 20 || cells.t[i] < 1 ? h : h + d3.mean(cells.c[i].map(c => cells.t[c])) / 10000);
 
     resolveDepressions(h);
-    features.forEach(f => {delete f.river; delete f.flux;});
+    features.forEach(f => {delete f.river; delete f.flux; delete f.inlets});
 
     const riversData = []; // rivers data
     cells.fl = new Uint16Array(cells.i.length); // water flux array
@@ -35,10 +35,95 @@
 
     void function drainWater() {
       const land = cells.i.filter(i => h[i] >= 20).sort((a,b) => h[b] - h[a]);
+      const outlets = new Uint32Array(features.length);
+      // enumerate lake outlet positions
+      features.filter(f => f.type === "lake" && (f.group === "freshwater" || f.group === "frozen")).forEach(l => {
+        let outlet = 0;
+        if (l.shoreline) {
+          outlet = l.shoreline[d3.scan(l.shoreline, (a,b) => h[a] - h[b])];
+        } else { // in case it got missed or deleted
+          WARN && console.warn('Re-scanning shoreline of a lake');
+          const shallows = cells.i.filter(j => cells.t[j] === -1 && cells.f[j] === l.i);
+          let shoreline = [];
+          shallows.map(w => cells.c[w]).forEach(cList => cList.forEach(s => shoreline.push(s)));
+          outlet = shoreline[d3.scan(shoreline, (a,b) => h[a] - h[b])];
+        }
+        outlets[l.i] = outlet;
+        delete l.shoreline // cleanup temp data once used
+      });
+
+      const flowDown = function(min, mFlux, iFlux, ri, i = 0){
+        if (cells.r[min]) { // downhill cell already has river assigned
+          if (mFlux < iFlux) {
+            cells.conf[min] = cells.fl[min]; // mark confluence
+            if (h[min] >= 20) riversData.find(r => r.river === cells.r[min]).parent = ri; // min river is a tributary of current river
+            cells.r[min] = ri; // re-assign river if downhill part has less flux
+          } else {
+            cells.conf[min] += iFlux; // mark confluence
+            if (h[min] >= 20) riversData.find(r => r.river === ri).parent = cells.r[min]; // current river is a tributary of min river
+          }
+        } else cells.r[min] = ri; // assign the river to the downhill cell
+        
+        if (h[min] < 20) {
+          // pour water to the sea haven
+          const oh = i ? cells.haven[i] : min;
+          riversData.push({river: ri, cell: oh, x: p[min][0], y: p[min][1]});
+          const mf = features[cells.f[min]]; // feature of min cell
+          if (mf.type === "lake") {
+            if (!mf.river || iFlux > mf.flux) {
+              mf.river = ri; // pour water to temporaly elevated lake
+              mf.flux = iFlux; // entering flux
+            }
+            mf.totalFlux += iFlux;
+            if (mf.inlets) {
+              mf.inlets.push(ri);
+            } else {
+              mf.inlets = [ri];
+            }
+          }
+        } else {
+          cells.fl[min] += iFlux; // propagate flux
+          riversData.push({river: ri, cell: min, x: p[min][0], y: p[min][1]}); // add next River segment
+        }
+      }
+
       land.forEach(function(i) {
         cells.fl[i] += grid.cells.prec[cells.g[i]]; // flux from precipitation
         const x = p[i][0], y = p[i][1];
 
+        // lake outlets draw from lake
+        let n = -1, out2 = 0;
+        while (outlets.includes(i, n+1)) {
+          n = outlets.indexOf(i, n+1);  
+          const l = features[n];
+          if ( ! l ) {continue;}
+          const j = cells.haven[i];
+          // allow chain lakes to retain identity
+          if(cells.r[j] !== l.river) {
+            let touch = false;
+            for (const c of cells.c[j]){
+              if (cells.r[c] === l.river) {
+                touch = true;
+                break;
+              }
+            }
+            if (touch) {
+              cells.r[j] = l.river;
+              riversData.push({river: l.river, cell: j, x: p[j][0], y: p[j][1]});
+            } else {
+              cells.r[j] = riverNext;
+              riversData.push({river: riverNext, cell: j, x: p[j][0], y: p[j][1]});
+              riverNext++;
+            }
+          }
+          cells.fl[j] = l.totalFlux; // signpost river size
+          flowDown(i, cells.fl[i], l.totalFlux, cells.r[j]);
+          // prevent dropping imediately back into the lake
+          out2 = cells.c[i].filter(c => (h[c] >= 20 || cells.f[c] !== cells.f[j])).sort((a,b) => h[a] - h[b])[0]; // downhill cell not in the source lake
+          // assign all to outlet basin
+          if (l.inlets) l.inlets.forEach(fork => riversData.find(r => r.river === fork).parent = cells.r[j]);
+        }
+
         // near-border cell: pour out of the screen
         if (cells.b[i]) {
           if (cells.r[i]) {
@@ -53,14 +138,7 @@
           return;
         }
 
-        //const min = cells.c[i][d3.scan(cells.c[i], (a, b) => h[a] - h[b])]; // downhill cell
-        let min = cells.c[i][d3.scan(cells.c[i], (a, b) => h[a] - h[b])]; // downhill cell
-
-        // allow only one river can flow through a lake
-        const cf = features[cells.f[i]]; // current cell feature
-        if (cf.river && cf.river !== cells.r[i]) {
-          cells.fl[i] = 0;
-        }
+        const min = out2 ? out2 : cells.c[i][d3.scan(cells.c[i], (a, b) => h[a] - h[b])]; // downhill cell
 
         if (cells.fl[i] < 30) {
           if (h[min] >= 20) cells.fl[min] += cells.fl[i];
@@ -74,32 +152,7 @@
           riverNext++;
         }
 
-        if (cells.r[min]) { // downhill cell already has river assigned
-          if (cells.fl[min] < cells.fl[i]) {
-            cells.conf[min] = cells.fl[min]; // mark confluence
-            if (h[min] >= 20) riversData.find(r => r.river === cells.r[min]).parent = cells.r[i]; // min river is a tributary of current river
-            cells.r[min] = cells.r[i]; // re-assign river if downhill part has less flux
-          } else {
-            cells.conf[min] += cells.fl[i]; // mark confluence
-            if (h[min] >= 20) riversData.find(r => r.river === cells.r[i]).parent = cells.r[min]; // current river is a tributary of min river
-          }
-        } else cells.r[min] = cells.r[i]; // assign the river to the downhill cell
-
-        const nx = p[min][0], ny = p[min][1];
-        if (h[min] < 20) {
-          // pour water to the sea haven
-          riversData.push({river: cells.r[i], cell: cells.haven[i], x: nx, y: ny});
-        } else {
-          const mf = features[cells.f[min]]; // feature of min cell
-          if (mf.type === "lake") {
-            if (!mf.river || cells.fl[i] > mf.flux) {
-              mf.river = cells.r[i]; // pour water to temporaly elevated lake
-              mf.flux = cells.fl[i]; // entering flux
-            }
-          }
-          cells.fl[min] += cells.fl[i]; // propagate flux
-          riversData.push({river: cells.r[i], cell: min, x: nx, y: ny}); // add next River segment
-        }
+        flowDown(min, cells.fl[min], cells.fl[i], cells.r[i], i);
 
       });
     }()
@@ -112,12 +165,12 @@
         const riverSegments = riversData.filter(d => d.river === r);
 
         if (riverSegments.length > 2) {
-          const riverEnhanced = addMeandring(riverSegments);
-          const width = rn(.8 + Math.random() * .4, 1); // river width modifier
-          const increment = rn(.8 + Math.random() * .6, 1); // river bed widening modifier
-          const [path, length] = getPath(riverEnhanced, width, increment);
-          riverPaths.push([r, path, width, increment]);
           const source = riverSegments[0], mouth = riverSegments[riverSegments.length-2];
+          const riverEnhanced = addMeandring(riverSegments);
+          let width = rn(.8 + Math.random() * .4, 1); // river width modifier [.2, 10]
+          let increment = rn(.8 + Math.random() * .6, 1); // river bed widening modifier [.01, 3]
+          const [path, length] = getPath(riverEnhanced, width, increment, cells.h[source.cell] >= 20 ? .1 : .6);
+          riverPaths.push([r, path, width, increment]);
           const parent = source.parent || 0;
           pack.rivers.push({i:r, parent, length, source:source.cell, mouth:mouth.cell});
         } else {
@@ -143,13 +196,37 @@
   const resolveDepressions = function(h) {
     const cells = pack.cells;
     const land = cells.i.filter(i => h[i] >= 20 && h[i] < 100 && !cells.b[i]); // exclude near-border cells
+    const lakes = pack.features.filter(f => f.type === "lake" && (f.group === "freshwater" || f.group === "frozen")); // to keep lakes flat
+    lakes.forEach(l => {
+      l.shoreline = [];
+      l.height = 21;
+      l.totalFlux = grid.cells.prec[cells.g[l.firstCell]];
+    });
+    for (let i of land.filter(i => cells.t[i] === 1)) { // select shoreline cells
+      cells.c[i].map(c => pack.features[cells.f[c]]).forEach(cf => {
+        if (lakes.includes(cf) && !cf.shoreline.includes(i)) {
+          cf.shoreline.push(i);
+        }
+      })
+    }
     land.sort((a,b) => h[b] - h[a]); // highest cells go first
     let depressed = false;
 
     for (let l = 0, depression = Infinity; depression && l < 100; l++) {
       depression = 0;
+      for (const l of lakes) {
+        const minHeight = d3.min(l.shoreline.map(s => h[s]));
+        if (minHeight === 100) continue; // already max height
+        if (l.height <= minHeight) {
+          l.height = Math.min(minHeight + 1, 100);
+          depression++;
+          depressed = true;
+        }
+      }
       for (const i of land) {
-        const minHeight = d3.min(cells.c[i].map(c => h[c]));
+        const minHeight = d3.min(cells.c[i].map(c => cells.t[c] > 0 ? h[c] : 
+          pack.features[cells.f[c]].height || h[c] // NB undefined is falsy (a || b is short for a ? a : b)
+          ));
         if (minHeight === 100) continue; // already max height
         if (h[i] <= minHeight) {
           h[i] = Math.min(minHeight + 1, 100);
@@ -200,8 +277,8 @@
     return riverEnhanced;
   }
 
-  const getPath = function(points, width = 1, increment = 1) {
-    let offset, extraOffset = .1; // starting river width (to make river source visible)
+  const getPath = function(points, width = 1, increment = 1, starting = .1) {
+    let offset, extraOffset = starting; // starting river width (to make river source visible)
     const riverLength = points.reduce((s, v, i, p) => s + (i ? Math.hypot(v[0] - p[i-1][0], v[1] - p[i-1][1]) : 0), 0); // summ of segments length
     const widening = rn((1000 + (riverLength * 30)) * increment);
     const riverPointsLeft = [], riverPointsRight = []; // store points on both sides to build a valid polygon
diff --git a/modules/ui/heightmap-editor.js b/modules/ui/heightmap-editor.js
index 66fba656..b2f7712a 100644
--- a/modules/ui/heightmap-editor.js
+++ b/modules/ui/heightmap-editor.js
@@ -176,7 +176,6 @@ function editHeightmap() {
     reGraph();
     drawCoastline();
 
-    elevateLakes();
     Rivers.generate(change);
 
     if (!change) {
@@ -289,7 +288,6 @@ function editHeightmap() {
     drawCoastline();
 
     if (changeHeights.checked) {
-      elevateLakes();
       Rivers.generate(changeHeights.checked);
     }
 
@@ -314,7 +312,6 @@ function editHeightmap() {
 
     for (const i of pack.cells.i) {
       const g = pack.cells.g[i];
-      if (pack.features[pack.cells.f[i]].group === "freshwater") pack.cells.h[i] = 19; // de-elevate lakes
       const land = pack.cells.h[i] >= 20;
 
       // check biome
diff --git a/modules/ui/tools.js b/modules/ui/tools.js
index 066eda0b..15988bf8 100644
--- a/modules/ui/tools.js
+++ b/modules/ui/tools.js
@@ -72,12 +72,7 @@ function processFeatureRegeneration(event, button) {
 }
 
 function regenerateRivers() {
-  elevateLakes();
   Rivers.generate();
-  for (const i of pack.cells.i) {
-    const f = pack.features[pack.cells.f[i]]; // feature
-    if (f.group === "freshwater") pack.cells.h[i] = 19; // de-elevate lakes
-  }
   Rivers.specify();
   if (!layerIsOn("toggleRivers")) toggleRivers();
 }
diff --git a/modules/ui/world-configurator.js b/modules/ui/world-configurator.js
index ffcef39f..fc3f93b6 100644
--- a/modules/ui/world-configurator.js
+++ b/modules/ui/world-configurator.js
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ function editWorld() {
     updateGlobePosition();
     calculateTemperatures();
     generatePrecipitation();
-    elevateLakes();
     const heights = new Uint8Array(pack.cells.h);
     Rivers.generate();
     Rivers.specify();