diff --git a/web/src/three/bridges.ts b/web/src/three/bridges.ts
index 83f6e44..b70d4d5 100644
--- a/web/src/three/bridges.ts
+++ b/web/src/three/bridges.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import * as THREE from 'three'
 import { mergeGeometries } from 'three/addons/utils/BufferGeometryUtils.js'
 import { mat } from './typologyMeshes'
+import { WATER_LEVEL } from './terrain'
 
 const K = 3.4 // cartoon scale-up
 const STEEL = '#ffc21a' // Pittsburgh bridge yellow
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ export function makeBridge(form: string, lengthUnits: number, deckY: number): TH
     boxAt(Math.hypot(dx, dy), t, t, (x1 + x2) / 2, (y1 + y2) / 2, z, c, Math.atan2(dy, dx))
   }
   const S = [-0.9, 0.9]
-  const WY = 0.3 / K
+  const WY = WATER_LEVEL / K
   boxAt(L, 0.45, 1.8, 0, y, 0, DECK)
   for (const s of S) boxAt(L, 0.3, 0.12, 0, y + 0.3, s, STEEL)
   const piers = (xs: number[]) => xs.forEach((x) => boxAt(0.8, y + 0.6, 1.4, x, (y - 0.6) / 2, 0, PIER))
diff --git a/web/src/three/engine.ts b/web/src/three/engine.ts
index 6a742a8..c7c15ec 100644
--- a/web/src/three/engine.ts
+++ b/web/src/three/engine.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 import * as THREE from 'three'
 import { OrbitControls } from 'three/addons/controls/OrbitControls.js'
 import { makeBridge } from './bridges'
-import { loadTerrain, type Terrain } from './terrain'
+import { loadTerrain, WATER_LEVEL, type Terrain } from './terrain'
 import { box, house, makeBuilding, mat, mesh, type BuildingForm } from './typologyMeshes'
 
 export interface SceneConfig {
@@ -315,9 +315,13 @@ export function createEngine(container: HTMLElement, opts: EngineOptions): Engin
 
   function buildCity(t: Terrain): void {
     terrain = t
-    // Water plane at the normal pool; land sits above it.
-    const water = new THREE.Mesh(new THREE.PlaneGeometry(6000, 6000).rotateX(-Math.PI / 2), new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({ color: WATER, roughness: 0.28, metalness: 0.1 }))
-    water.position.y = 0.3
+    // Water plane at the normal pool; land sits above it. Depth offset pushes the
+    // water back so the shoreline never z-fights with the banks.
+    const water = new THREE.Mesh(
+      new THREE.PlaneGeometry(6000, 6000).rotateX(-Math.PI / 2),
+      new THREE.MeshStandardMaterial({ color: WATER, roughness: 0.28, metalness: 0.1, polygonOffset: true, polygonOffsetFactor: 2, polygonOffsetUnits: 4 }),
+    )
+    water.position.y = WATER_LEVEL
     water.receiveShadow = true
     city.add(water)
     // Ground: vivid inside city limits, pale countryside outside.
diff --git a/web/src/three/terrain.ts b/web/src/three/terrain.ts
index 46d220f..101df00 100644
--- a/web/src/three/terrain.ts
+++ b/web/src/three/terrain.ts
@@ -17,13 +17,19 @@ interface Meta {
   fine: { extent: number; step: number; n: number }
 }
 
-const WATER_H = -0.6
+/** Height of the flat water plane. */
+export const WATER_LEVEL = 0.3
+// Riverbed and lowest land sit well clear of the water plane: at city zoom the
+// depth buffer can't separate surfaces a fraction of a unit apart, and flat banks
+// near the pool z-fight with the water (rivers flicker as the camera moves).
+const WATER_H = WATER_LEVEL - 2.5
+const LAND_MIN = WATER_LEVEL + 0.8
 
 function sampler(data: Int16Array, offset: number, extent: number, step: number, n: number, scale: number, water: number) {
   const stride = n + 1
   const at = (i: number, j: number) => {
     const v = data[offset + j * stride + i]
-    return v === water ? WATER_H : v / scale
+    return v === water ? WATER_H : Math.max(LAND_MIN, v / scale)
   }
   const wet = (i: number, j: number) => data[offset + j * stride + i] === water
   const idx = (x: number, z: number) => {
@@ -101,7 +107,7 @@ function ruleTerrain(riverPts: [number, number][][], half: number): Terrain {
     const d = dist(x, z)
     if (d < 15) return WATER_H
     const n = 0.5 + 0.5 * Math.sin(x * 0.011 + 1.3) * Math.cos(z * 0.013 - 0.7) + 0.22 * Math.sin(x * 0.029 + z * 0.023)
-    return 0.8 + sst(40, 105, d) * sst(80, 190, Math.hypot(x + 15, z)) * (15 + 14 * n)
+    return LAND_MIN + sst(40, 105, d) * sst(80, 190, Math.hypot(x + 15, z)) * (15 + 14 * n)
   }
   return {
     source: 'rules',