Aquifers are underground layers of soil or rock that produce water in the Dwarf Fortress. The dwarves in Dwarf Fortress spend a lot of time looking for resources, building structures, digging underground, etc. During it, we can come across aquifers, which are underground obstacles made up of rocks that continuously create water without stopping.
Aquifers are classified into two types: light and heavy. Heavy Aquifers must be avoided because they will cause flooding in your area. To help you with light aquifers, this guide will tell you how to build them. To help with how to use them, we’ve written this guide on Light Aquifers found in Dwarf Fortress.
Building Light Aquifers
The first step in creating your water supply with Light Aquifers is to collect enough wood or stone. When they find a light aquifer, they should work to get above it. If the aquifer was discovered while digging a stairwell, return to the last point where the dwarves were ready to construct stairs.
If the player came across an aquifer while digging horizontally, they should move up one layer and dig a hallway to the aquifer’s location. Keep repeating the process until they no longer come across the damp stone. The idea is to descend two layers at the same time, creating a staircase as you go.
There are two ways to identify an aquifer block:
- The first thing is that the dwarves may stop digging, and there may be a notification that they have discovered damp stone.
- The second is when the digging orders icon is selected. The aquifer tiles with which the dwarves came in contact will be marked with blue water drops.
When you reach the water icon or discover the aquifer in any way given above, delete the current staircase and go up two layers to reach the aquifers. When a player is directly on top of a light aquifer, click the place structures icon. Choose constructions, and place walls into the newly dug tiles. These Dwarf Fortress walls will keep aquifer water from leaking into the stairwell.
Now, dig a stream into the freshly dug tile furthest away from the stairway and build a well on it. A Carpenter’s Workshop can make wells, and a Mechanic Workshop can make mechanisms.
Simply place the well in place and wait for the tile beneath it to fill with water. The well will become operational when the water reaches a specific depth. By clicking on their wells, players can confirm the status occasionally.
Beware of Risks
We must exercise caution when digging from below because we will be flooded without warning. Additionally, the water seeps slowly below, which is somewhat dangerous. There are two types of aquifers to consider: light and heavy.
The light ones are the most common, and when they are broken, the water produced is slow. Whereas the heavy ones are riskier due to the powerful rhythm of the water that is produced. This is why you should avoid heavy aquifers and settle for light ones.
That’s all you need to know about the Light Aquifers in Dwarf Fortress. For more similar guides, like keeping your dwarves fed, check the guides section.
