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[Ebonblade7]

I created a new fort, which is prospering and everyone is unhappy. After surviving a goblin siege, winter sets in. When I start seeing cancellation spam from everyone trying to get water to the wounded, I decided to approach the forums about it. The pools are all frozen, I can't find the 1st cavern layer, and would prefer if I don't lose 1/4 of my military to thirst.

[Ebonblade7]

I dug 2 layers down and struck the caverns. They are full of water. I'm feeling more than a bit stupid right now. I hope the caverns don't decide to share the FUN too soon.

[Duuvian]

You might want to build a lot of traps in your entrance to your cavern if you don't seal it off.

If I were you I would dig a shaft above the water inn the caverns and build a well at the top of it.

[catpaw]

http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Reservoir

Personally I embark on either a brook/river side or with an aquiver available so there is some form of infinite water. But Reservoirs will work as well, if it rains occasionally sometime in the year

[Tawa]

Whatever you do, DON'T LET WINTER HAPPEN.

Ahem, er, yeah. Put it in a nice warm hole.

THE HUMANITY!

I made a fort where instead of soil, we had sand, preventing me from farming until I discovered a silt layer. My dwarves all died of thirst when winter happened, because we were plump helmet deficient and waterless.

[Snaake]

Whatever you do, DON'T LET WINTER HAPPEN.

Ahem, er, yeah. Put it in a nice warm hole.

THE HUMANITY!

I made a fort where instead of soil, we had sand, preventing me from farming until I discovered a silt layer. My dwarves all died of thirst when winter happened, because we were plump helmet deficient and waterless.

... you can farm just fine in sand or clay too. I guess you didn't have any surface plants to gather either?

[MrsStick]

If you have a surface stream, you can channel it into a reservoir indoors (which is what I did in my fort).

[Methadone]

If you have a surface stream, you can channel it into a reservoir indoors (which is what I did in my fort).

This is what I usually do as well; it's easy channel/mine out a path and moderate sized reservoir in winter, then come the thaw trigger a floodgate, fill it up, and shut it back down before the freeze. Just remember, if you put a grate in along with the floodgate, make sure it is upstream. I've learned the hard way that rocks get suck in grates, preventing a floodgate from closing again.

As for the caverns, you can build walls all the way up to the map edge, so it shouldn't be too hard to secure a small area with water for a short-term/emergency water option.

[Snaake]

If you have a surface stream, you can channel it into a reservoir indoors (which is what I did in my fort).

This is what I usually do as well; it's easy channel/mine out a path and moderate sized reservoir in winter, then come the thaw trigger a floodgate, fill it up, and shut it back down before the freeze. Just remember, if you put a grate in along with the floodgate, make sure it is upstream. I've learned the hard way that rocks get suck in grates, preventing a floodgate from closing again.

As for the caverns, you can build walls all the way up to the map edge, so it shouldn't be too hard to secure a small area with water for a short-term/emergency water option.

No, you can't build walls up to the map edge. I think the limit was 6 tiles? Any closer than that you need to use raised bridges as wall substitutes.

[Ravendarksky]

Aquafiers make pretty good water sources... Just channel out the top layer a few squares and shove a well on it (or have a pump first for filtering out the nasties).

[Mr. Strange]

If you have a surface stream, you can channel it into a reservoir indoors.

This is how I usually end up doing it.

[Aslandus]

If you're going to move it indoors, make sure it actually goes indoors (inside, dark, subterranean) because freezes reach anywhere light reaches (learned that the hard way). If you're moving water from a sea or murky pond, make sure it gets pumped at least once before reaching the reservoir to filter it.

Getting clean water into my base always becomes a grand construction because I f***ing love aqueducts...

[TruePikachu]

I should probably recommend the dwarfy solution of ‼MAGMA‼.

Specifically, if you have flowing magma on the tile below ice (even if there is a floor in the way), the ice melts into 7/7 water. This doesn't seem to work with stationary lava, though, nor with multi-deep water (in my experience; be careful with testing this because a cavein could happen).

[CaptainArchmage]

Here are the methods:

1. Don’t embark on a biome where water freezes in winter.

2. Build large underground cistern and fill it up from a brook or river. Ideally this should have a floodgate to control the flow of water.

3. Obtain water from an aquifer. Be careful.

4. Dig to the caverns, locate a water source, and either drain the source (which should border on the map edge) into a cistern or build a well right above it.

[blapnk]

Will it work if you assign a pond somewhere during summer and then forbit the buckets right out of the hands of your dwarves that go to fill it up, creating a stockpile of water buckets? Or will dwarves not use buckets of water they themselves have not personally filled on that job? I'm wondering if this method could be useful early on, especially if your water source is in range of enemy archer fire.

You can build a wall right up to the map edge in the caverns, unlike on the surface. But it's probably easier to create a well in the roof of the caverns and just hope no flying forgotten beasts arrive.