40d:Marsh

A marsh is a type of wetland that is periodically or continuously inundated. A marsh is generally treeless, with a variety of grasses and shrubs. Compare with a swamp.

Marshes in Dwarf Fortress

Swamps and marshes tend to form around oceanic coastlines, especially where rivers meet the ocean.

Much like their real-life counterpart, marshes generally have a high water table, meaning that an accessible aquifer is only a few tiles below the surface (and in occasionally unlucky circumstances, directly beneath the surface). It can be incredibly difficult to nigh-impossible to extract stones from marshy areas, making the long-term feasibility of a fort doubtful; it is recommend that an additional, non-saturated biome be selected as well.

Generally the landscape is very flat, with only occasional, small gradients. Ponds are abundant. The stratification is often hard to ascertain, as it is difficult to penetrate the aquifer. Generally there are a few layers of clay and loam followed, eventually, by stone and rock beneath.

Saltwater marshes make habitability more precarious, as the aquifer and surrounding ponds may not be drinkable.

Unlike their real-world counterparts, marshes in Dwarf Fortress generally have an abundance of trees, negating the difference between marshes and swamps.