How to build a waterfall in Minecraft

Waterfalls make a great addition to nearly any build in Minecraft. The relaxing flow of water can make nearly any creation more hospitable to players.

Creating a waterfall in Minecraft can be as simple or as complex as you like. Players can use multiple water buckets to create elaborate, multi-tier waterfalls. It's also perfectly fine to make a basic one that can be built in only a few moments.

The decision is entirely up to the player in question, but the creation of a waterfall, in general, adheres to certain building conventions.

Before beginning, Minecraft players will need a collection of tools at their disposal. Paramount among them is at least one bucket of water, though players may want to bring along more depending on the waterfall they intend to build.

It's also wise to bring along basic tools, such as pickaxes and shovels, in the event that players need to clear out natural land for their waterfall. However, if players are creating an artificial waterfall, they can bring nothing more than a few water buckets and some building blocks.

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Steps to create a basic waterfall in Minecraft

If Minecraft players are unsure of how to make a waterfall, they can follow the simple steps listed below to create a basic one before expanding later on.

1. Begin by finding your preferred building site. This can be one you create yourself or a particularly nice-looking piece of natural Minecraft terrain. Be sure you have your water buckets and tools handy, whatever the case may be.
2. To create an appropriate waterfall-like flow, you'll need to place the water from your buckets at a high elevation, close to a ledge. This will allow the water to flow outward and downward before making contact with the ground.
3. For a natural waterfall in basic terrain, you can simply dig a few one-block tall, two-block wide holes and fill them with water source blocks from your water bucket. This will create a very simple waterfall. Depending on the height that the water falls from, it can pool in larger or smaller amounts when it reaches the ground. Shorter waterfalls will lead to larger pools of water when the waterfall hits the ground.
4. If you'd like to avoid the waterfall pooling when it hits the ground, create a retaining pool at the bottom and fill it with water from your buckets. This will ensure that any water from the waterfall feeds into the retaining pool, keeping things nice and neat.
5. For some added flair, you can place blocks underneath the surface of the waterfall's flow. As long as the water can reach outward and over the placed blocks, you can create some pretty interesting tiers or terraces and direct the waterfall's flow.

At the end of the day, Minecraft players have the final say on what their waterfall can look like. For this reason, it's a good idea to experiment with many different designs to see what you come up with.

Since water is not particularly hazardous like lava, there's no harm in diving in to clear or add blocks at will. It won't be long before you can create a visually pleasing waterfall.