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Author Topic: How do I dam off a brook?  (Read 588 times)

CT

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How do I dam off a brook?
« on: August 09, 2011, 01:13:32 am »

Apologies if there is a thread like this buried somewhere, I tried to use the search feature but it twas being a dorf. How do I dam off a brook? I intend to use this for waterfall/waste disposal purposes but anything I've tried so far has failed...miserably.
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G-Flex

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Re: How do I dam off a brook?
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2011, 01:15:59 am »

The easiest way: If you live in an area that freezes over during the winter, simply wait for the brook to freeze, channel your way into it, and build walls/floodgates down in there.

Otherwise, it gets a little more complicated. One thing you can do is place a bunch of pumps along the top of the brook (may require placing floors there first), all pointing upstream, and have dwarves (or power) constantly run them. This way, you stop water from flowing further downstream and can place walls/floodgates in there. At least hopefully that'll work.
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MarcAFK

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Re: How do I dam off a brook?
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2011, 01:23:55 am »

I've always found dorfpowered pumps to be terribly unreliable and DANGEROUS, for all damming purposes.
Very dwarfy. You should try using a waterwheel, it only requires wood and an axel or gear assembly to build onto, just remember that you'll have to channel space for it on the brook because its shallow and the water is kinda flowing on a floor... or something....
or erm, maye you can just build floor on it since brooks are weird and you can stand on em?
I'm going to have to test this tonight
« Last Edit: August 09, 2011, 01:32:16 am by MarcAFK »
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Dorf3000

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Re: How do I dam off a brook?
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2011, 03:13:37 am »

If you're pumping it back upstream to be able to dam it off, you definitely need power.  Depending on your wind level at the site you need 4 pumps and one or two windmills, or a water wheel if you want to be clever.  You need to channel out a brook to be able to use a wheel, and if you're pumping near the source you might not have room to build it upstream (you can't build it downstream.. that was a facepalm moment)

Don't forget to build some short walls to contain the water coming out, or it'll flow around your pumps and fall back in the empty brook.
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