Waterscaping

Learn how to use the waterscaping tool in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Create waterfalls, heart-shaped ponds, and more with this comprehensive guide.

This page offers a walkthrough of how to use the waterscaping tool in the Island Designer app. You will also find tips on how to create features such as waterfalls and heart-shaped lakes in this guide.

How to Use the Waterscaping Tool

First, you’ll need to buy the waterscaping permit for 6,000 miles from the Nookstop. Access it by starting construction through the Island Designer app. Press + to open the construction menu, and select the Waterscaping Permit at the bottom of the path designs.

There are restrictions: you cannot place water within one tile of a tree or a house, nor can you remove water from your estuaries or make new ones on beaches.

You can make rivers, ponds, lakes, and waterfalls wherever you like. Pressing A with the tool selected creates a block of water, allowing you to widen rivers or create new bodies of water. Pressing A on existing water tiles removes water, narrowing or deleting bodies of water. Pressing A again on the removed land softens the edge for a more natural look, applicable to rivers, ponds, and lakes.

Waterscaping Ideas

Waterfalls

Digging at the end of a cliff with the waterscaping shovel creates a waterfall. You can join new waterfalls to existing rivers or have them begin from a pond.

Land Bridges

Land bridges can serve as temporary alternatives to fancy bridges. You can create a full bridge across a river or stepping stones.

Heart-shaped Pond

This is a statement pond for a park. Start by digging an L shape of water, 5 long and 5 tall. At the tip of each L, dig out a diagonal square, then two more diagonal squares in between, creating 4 total diagonal squares. Fill the space between the L shape and the diagonal squares with water. Finally, dig up the square edges to round them into a heart shape. This is the smallest version; you can make it larger.

Natural Centerpieces

Use the techniques mentioned to create unique and natural-looking features on your island, such as mini waterfalls and ponds.