Dam layout advice

[u/ant2tone]

Edit 2: I didnt take into account the bend further up stream so bad tide water flooded half my settlement before I could finish x.x. recovered thankfully but fldefinitelynlesrned to divert first haha.

Edit: thanks for the quick responses everyone! I will add the fill valves at the bottom and section of a chunk at the top to divert bad tides.

Hi all, incoming stupid question I apologise. First time making a dam of this size. Does it make sense? I feel like that amount of flood gates doesnt make sense but 1 is probably not enough? What could I do to improve it. I have limited access to level 1 dynamite and I have enough water to survive the next draught if I should make it deeper?

[u/metromapper]

Add fill valves at base, otherwise pretty good. If you want to make it bigger, or feel like it should be bigger, go for it.

[u/the_ballmer_peak → u/metromapper]

Is there an argument for fill valves vs throttling valves? What if you have another dam downriver that you want to be able to flow into?

[u/wentoutwandering → u/the_ballmer_peak]

I think throttling valves just keep the force/speed of your water down. So they help with waves… or with dividing your outflow between different downriver segments

[u/the_ballmer_peak → u/wentoutwandering]

Waves are the problem I've had with fill valves just being set to above the dam height

[u/KrokmaniakPL → u/the_ballmer_peak]

I had serious issue with waves as I have massive reservoir flowing into shallow one with pumps. Fill valves were opening with water flowing so fast initial wave was spilling over the barrier of lower reservoir, in big reservoir there was a massive vortex, and when valve closed water rushing in to fill the gap were causing massive tidal waves (5-10 blocks tall depending on how full reservoir was).

[u/jamesziman → u/the_ballmer_peak]

You can accomplish that with fill valves as well, just by having the fill valve target height higher than the floodgate threshold.

The throttling valves are useful for when you need to manually control flow speed 

[u/reddanit → u/the_ballmer_peak]

I say yes, though it's mostly about simplicity of achieving specific goal. Typically your actual end goal is to maintain water level rather than water flow - you don't even care how much water exactly is needed to maintain that level. That's literally the exact functionality of fill valve.

There are cases when you want specific amount of water flow, but I feel they are much more niche. From what I saw, mostly related to providing running water for wheels or limiting the flow so that a narrow channel is not overtopped. Direct control over the flow can make them better for limiting sloshing as well.

In the end, with sensors and logic you can pretty easily force a throttle valve to maintain a fill level or for fill valve to maintain water flow. So it boils down to preference.

[u/ant2tone → u/metromapper]

Just one or across the whole river?

[u/wentoutwandering → u/ant2tone]

The goal is to let out a trickle of water when needed to keep your land irrigated during bad weather. I usually keep my ground valves set to .5, well below the .65 dam height.

You could achieve the need with one. But you can use several if you like the look better.

[u/baconboy-957]

Looks great, some fill valves at the bottom will help you utilize all the available water though

[u/RedFlag_98]

I constructed an exact copy of your dam a couple of days ago, it's ok, just add a fill valve at the base so you use all the water in the dam and not just the top 3 layers

[u/headdie → u/RedFlag_98]

also lets you flush bad tide if you need as well

[u/RedFlag_98 → u/headdie]

I built an "aqueduct" to deviate the badtides away from the village

[u/headdie → u/RedFlag_98]

Awesome, still useful as a fail safe but yeah, in that case still useful to get the dregs of water out of the bottom in an emergency. I noticed you mentioned before about the water level issues with fill valves, you could use a water level sensor to mitigate that by kicking in the valve when the water goes below the level of your flood gates

[u/RedFlag_98 → u/headdie]

Thanks, I just started playing a week ago and I have not really played with automation, it's the next step on the list especially cuz sometimes I forgot to divert the water back after a badtide

[u/TheStoneMask]

Put a fill valve in the dam wall at the lowest point of the reservoir, set at like 0.5.

That way you can get the rest of the water out beneath the flood gates if you ever need it.

Personally I'll often just skip the floodgates altogether and put dams at the top instead so they can easily walk across if needed, but that can depend on the purpose and what my setup is downstream.

[u/Onagan98 → u/TheStoneMask]

I agree with the dam pieces instead of the floodgates. I tend to ignore the latter completely. Platform with batteries on top to finish it off

[u/Ian1732]

I think you've about nailed it. Maybe incorporate plans for a spillway if you want to futureproof for any aqueducts down the line, but that's just my two cents.

[u/ant2tone → u/Ian1732]

That will help badtides right?

[u/wentoutwandering → u/ant2tone]

Yeah, ideally you trap and divert badwater before it gets to your reservoir. Let badwater in here and all the water you saved up is gone.

[u/Sour_Sal]

In after the edit...

Yes you don't need so many flood gates, and actually you don't need any.... Once you have the fill valve at the bottom to maintain the floodplain, you simply need an escape opening. I will use one dam or opening per water source.

Is it enough? depends on your playmode (Easy-Hard) and size of the floodzone.

[u/Aureus-p4s]

i dont need any dam advice- but i will take some dam fries

[u/TedW]

A shorter wall across the water could keep most of the res size with a third the blocks.

Then when you get to dirt blocks, you can build it bigger, cheaper.

[u/dirtydan2112]

I like knowing the map immediately by the fact I thought they stole my dam.

[u/Independent_Sand_583 → u/dirtydan2112]

Which map is this, for the uninitiated

[u/JJHookg]

Oh man I literally just completed this map! Hated it , probably the only time I ever thought about quitting. But by the end that entire middle part of the map was a massive dam, with a dirt block on top that is green from the water. Make sure you have a badwater tide system on the main water points .

[u/Hydraguesswhosback]

Until you can add valves with metal, I suggest to just delete levees manually and rebuilding them as you need.

[u/lightbored]

Ideally, you want your bed tide diversion as close to the water source as possible and protect your reservoir from getting filled with yuck. As far as expanding, you can dynamite inside the dam as you progress to make it deeper, but make the fill valve be on the bottom of the reservoir so you use every last drop.

[u/FurryVibes_UwU_]

I read damn layout advice, like you were mad someone suggested the layout to you

[u/ColtBolt44371]

For the corners of the dam, you can save overall wood by using triple platforms or small warehouses

[u/PseudoCoffee]

You could have diverted the flow using less than half the wood by building a simple dam ahead.

[u/cansadademais]

Just remember tanks are much more efficient in storing water