In response to the problems of unclear management boundaries,inconsistent identification principles,and blank navigation standards in the identification of navigable inland water areas,this article combines the delineation of navigable inland water areas in Shanghai,and proposes six types of water areas that can be identified as navigable water areas by sorting out laws and regulations,technical standards,and management documents for navigable water areas issued by various regions.These include current or planned waterways,waterways with operating docks,waterways with cargo ships,waterways with important geographical locations that can provide supplementary support to the existing waterway network,area where water tourism business activities are planned to be developed,and waterways with no docks or ships but still possessing certain navigation capabilities.Water areas with poor navigation conditions and no planned use requirements,as well as urban garden water areas,should not be recognized as navigable water areas.In addition,based on the principle of moderate rationality,navigation standards are proposed for navigable waters such as rivers and lakes.The research results can provide theoretical support and technical reference for the management of navigable water areas.