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[chucks]

Depending on what can be done when establishing trade routes in the game when the caravan arc is explored and worked upon, having a regularly scheduled water caravan into a desert could be a feasible solution to start out a fortress in a desert region.  If trade routes of flux from flux heavy regions, water from water heavy regions, sand from deserts, metals from ore regions, food from fertile regions, etc. comes into play, the role of nations and trading partners can become quickly complicated.  If eventually implemented in a large enough scale, perhaps aqueducts of water could be built to supply deserts and the wealth of large empires could keep even the most absurb of locations alive and kicking if supplied well enough.

[Pilsu]

Unless you start drilling oil, nothing in your little fort is worth hauling several tons of water every year. This idea rests solely on exploiting the broken economy and actively ignoring realistic water needs of irrigation, drinking and washing

Deserts forts must be founded on either an oasis or an underground river. Either that or they need a nearby supply depot on these features to haul them water. Anything else is a laughably unrealistic of a long term solution


Settling on a desert should provide it's unique challenges, not just be like any other fort except you have to buy 10 barrels of water every year. Caravans probably wouldn't even show up every year unless you have world class regional specialties like high quality glass. Enemies would be scarce. Relying on a supply depot for your water would probably leave you vulnerable to being cut off by enemies using said water to supply their own siege

Can you even use wagons in a sand desert? Good luck hauling meaningful amounts of water with camels long distance. It'll take time to dig out an underground tunnel, until then moisture would be in short supply


Goblins need a new mount if they intend to cross a desert. Giant lizards maybe? I can see them setting up settlements at the desert for the sole purpose of raiding yours

[HatfieldCW]

The caravans wouldn't have to haul water from the mountainhomes, though, they could haul barrels to the edge of the desert, fill them there and then bring the water to the fort.  They'd only be bearing the weight for a small fraction of the journey.

[Derakon]

Keep in mind that your desert fortress might exist for strategic reasons as well, as a safe stopover point for soldiers en route to raid the goblins, a point fortress against goblin raids in turn, et cetera. That could easily be reason enough to send regular water caravans.

[Wolfius]

Keep in mind that your desert fortress might exist for strategic reasons as well, as a safe stopover point for soldiers en route to raid the goblins, a point fortress against goblin raids in turn, et cetera. That could easily be reason enough to send regular water caravans.

Also as a stopover for desert caravans themselves. If they're passing by to trade heavy goods for light, they can haul water on the leg of their journey that they're only hauling light goods, make a profit off their extra capacity by selling it at a premium, and pad their own water supplies against the unexpected.

And remember, a good fortress can buy out any caravan - if you can import a few tons of flux for your steelworks, why can't you import a few tons of water, if you're willing to pay for it?

Weight is weight, afterall.

[Granite26]

A donkey drinks 1 gallon per day,
travels 30 miles per day,
and can haul 30 gallons worth of weight. 
For 20 dwarves (drink 1 gallon per day, reclaim half)
living 300 miles into the desert,

1st off, based on your math, you're saying a donkey gets 30 miles to the gallon, and can haul 30 gallons on weight. This means a donkeys effective range is 900 miles. Ok, I'll work with that.
Let's say a donkey walks 150 miles out into the desert, dumps off 20 gallons of water, picks up 25gallons worth in weight of whatever awesome resource has attracted the dwarves, and walks 150 miles back.
Now, lets say, one dwarf is leading a herd (is 'herd' the multiple of donkey?) of 50 donkeys back and forth supplying the settlement. That's 1000 gallons of water supplied each trip, and if the thing out in the desert is that impressive, the 25gal worth in weight of it would more than cover everything.
Beyond that, it's the desert. You'd be using camels, which require much less water.

I'm not going to argue the perpetual motion machine that is still suits...  It's a personal thing...

On the example: 
Sure, 50 donkey donkeys spending their entire lives walking back and forth could in fact supply a dwarf fort with water.  I'll even concede that there exists a number of donkeys such that you could do all the hauling you needed.  Further, I'll concede that there is a number of donkeys that could haul everything you need, and with enough margin that you could stand to lose a caravan.

I'm not sure where all that water will come from, though.

Check this topic...  It's nine pages of science vs. OMFG Video Games ROXOR!!!1!