A spring is a feature of a single unit of liquid that generates within the world, flowing out into spaces level with or lower than the source.
Types of springs
There are three main categories of fluid springs.
Normal springs

This most familiar type of spring can generate as either water or lava, and generate in the sides of stone surfaces. These are commonly encountered on the sides of cliffs, as well as inside caves. Lava springs are a common source of forest fires.
Ceiling springs
These types of springs are exclusive to the Nether, and generate only as lava. As their name implies, they generate on ceilings, and the liquid flows directly downwards from them. These are quite common sightings in the Nether, and the resultant lava spreading can sometimes make traversing terrain difficult.
Hidden lava

Unlike the other types of springs, these are hidden from generation. These are particularly dangerous and care must be taken (like taking a Potion of Fire Resistance) when mining in the Nether, as they can be dangerous when uncovered.
Data values
ID
Configured feature | Identifier |
---|---|
[No displayed name] | spring_water |
[No displayed name] | spring_lava_overworld |
[No displayed name] | spring_lava_frozen |
[No displayed name] | spring_lava_nether |
[No displayed name] | spring_nether_closed |
[No displayed name] | spring_nether_open |
Feature | Identifier |
---|---|
[No displayed name] | lava_spring_feature |
[No displayed name] | water_spring_feature |
[No displayed name] | minecraft:legacy:springs_feature |
[No displayed name][1] | [No ID] |
History
Java Edition Infdev | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
20100616-1 | Added springs. | ||||
Java Edition Alpha | |||||
v1.2.0 | preview | Added the Nether, which contains open nether springs. | |||
Java Edition | |||||
1.5 | 13w02a | Added closed nether springs in the Nether. | |||
1.17 | 21w08a | Normal springs are now able to generate below Y=0. | |||
21w15a | Normal springs are no longer able to generate below Y=0. | ||||
1.18 | Experimental Snapshot 1 | Springs are now able to generate in meadow, lofty peaks, snowcapped peaks, snowy slopes, grove. | |||
Normal springs are able to generate below Y=0 once again. | |||||
experimental snapshot 5 | Water springs are now able to replace dirt and snow blocks. | ||||
Springs are now able to generate in lush caves. | |||||
experimental snapshot 6 | Water springs are slightly less common. | ||||
21w42a | The maximum Y-level of water spring generation has been changed to Y=192. | ||||
Water springs have been made slightly less common again. | |||||
Lava springs are now able to replace calcite, dirt, powder snow, and packed ice. | |||||
21w43a | Lava springs are no longer able to replace snow block, powder snow, packed ice.[2] | ||||
Added frozen lava springs that can replace snow block, powder snow, packed ice, which generate in jagged peaks, frozen peaks, snowy slopes, and grove. | |||||
1.18-pre1 | Regular lava springs are able to replace snow block, powder snow, packed ice again. | ||||
1.18-pre2 | Regular lava springs are no longer able to replace snow block, powder snow, packed ice again. | ||||
Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||
v0.1.0 | Added springs. | ||||
v0.12.1 | build 1 | Added the Nether, which contains open and closed nether springs. |
Gallery
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A water spring in which a squid has spawned
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Another water spring squid.
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2 lava springs, with the wildfire in the foreground.
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Numerous water springs and lava spring generated together in windswept hills biome.
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Lava spring flowing to the ocean.
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2 water springs generated in birch forest biome.