diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 2a3b63c..69a259c 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ async fn game_tick(state: &mut GameState) -> Result<()> {
             }
 
             let original_size = plant.current_size;
-            plant.current_size += plant.genome.base_growth_rate(soil_nutrients, water, temperature, salt, terrain) * PLANT_GROWTH_SCALE * plant.current_size.powf(-0.25); // allometric scaling law
+            plant.current_size += plant.genome.base_growth_rate(soil_nutrients, water, temperature, salt, terrain) * PLANT_GROWTH_SCALE * plant.current_size.max(0.1).powf(-0.25); // allometric scaling law
             let difference = (plant.current_size - original_size).max(0.0);
 
             if plant.can_reproduce() {
@@ -425,7 +425,8 @@ async fn game_tick(state: &mut GameState) -> Result<()> {
             if difference > 0.0 {
                 plant.growth_ticks += 1;
                 if let Ok(mut health) = state.world.get::<&mut Health>(entity) {
-                    health.apply(HealthChangeType::NaturalRegeneration, difference);
+                    health.max += difference;
+                    health.apply(HealthChangeType::NaturalRegeneration, difference * 2.0);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -485,7 +486,7 @@ async fn game_tick(state: &mut GameState) -> Result<()> {
                 buffer.cmd.spawn((
                     Position::single_tile(newpos, MapLayer::Entities),
                     Render('+'),
-                    Health::new(10.0, 10.0),
+                    Health::new(1.0, 1.0),
                     Plant::new(hybrid_genome.clone()),
                     NewlyAdded
                 ));
@@ -906,7 +907,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                 batch.push((
                     Position::single_tile(pos, MapLayer::Entities),
                     Render('+'),
-                    Health::new(10.0, 10.0),
+                    Health::new(1.0, 1.0),
                     //ShrinkOnDeath,
                     Plant::new(genome),
                     NewlyAdded
diff --git a/src/plant.rs b/src/plant.rs
index cec1f44..5c5eb63 100644
--- a/src/plant.rs
+++ b/src/plant.rs
@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ impl Genome {
         }
     }
 
-    // TODO: this might be unreasonable
+    // TODO: do this better
     pub fn water_efficiency(&self) -> f32 {
-        sigmoid(self.optimal_water_level * 3.0 - 1.0)
+        sigmoid(self.optimal_water_level)
     }
 
     pub fn hybridize(&self, rng: &mut fastrand::Rng, other: &Genome) -> Option<Genome> {
diff --git a/src/render.rs b/src/render.rs
index 58b70db..2a93068 100644
--- a/src/render.rs
+++ b/src/render.rs
@@ -125,9 +125,11 @@ define_fields! {
         SeaDistance => "sea_distance",
         Plants => "plant_growth",
         PlantsAge => "plant_age",
-        PlantsLifespanFraction => "plant_lifespan_fraction",
+        PlantsLifespanFraction => "plant_life",
         DynamicGroundwater => "dynamic_groundwater",
         DynamicSoil => "dynamic_soil",
+        EntityHealth => "health",
+        EntityHealthFraction => "health_fraction",
     }
 }
 
@@ -176,6 +178,8 @@ struct RenderData {
     plants_lifespan_fraction: Map<f32>,
     dynamic_groundwater: Map<f32>,
     dynamic_soil: Map<f32>,
+    entity_health: Map<f32>,
+    entity_health_fraction: Map<f32>,
 }
 
 struct RenderedImage {
@@ -216,6 +220,8 @@ fn sample_field(field: Field, position: Coord, data: &RenderData) -> f32 {
         Field::PlantsLifespanFraction => data.plants_lifespan_fraction[position],
         Field::DynamicGroundwater => data.dynamic_groundwater[position],
         Field::DynamicSoil => data.dynamic_soil[position],
+        Field::EntityHealth => data.entity_health[position],
+        Field::EntityHealthFraction => data.entity_health_fraction[position],
     }
 }
 
@@ -300,6 +306,17 @@ fn build_derived_data(
         plants_lifespan_fraction[pos] = plant.age as f32 / (plant.genome.lifespan() * PLANT_LIFESPAN_SCALE);
     }
 
+    let mut entity_health = Map::new(world.radius, 0.0f32);
+    let mut entity_health_fraction = Map::new(world.radius, 0.0f32);
+    for (position, health) in ecs_world.query::<(&Position, &Health)>().iter() {
+        let pos = position.head();
+        if !plants.in_range(pos) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        entity_health[pos] = health.current;
+        entity_health_fraction[pos] = health.current / health.max;
+    }
+
     RenderData {
         world,
         ecs_world,
@@ -312,7 +329,9 @@ fn build_derived_data(
         plants_age,
         plants_lifespan_fraction,
         dynamic_groundwater,
-        dynamic_soil: dynamic_soil_nutrients
+        dynamic_soil: dynamic_soil_nutrients,
+        entity_health,
+        entity_health_fraction,
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util.rs b/src/util.rs
index b6b0cf9..a04ef3d 100644
--- a/src/util.rs
+++ b/src/util.rs
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ pub mod config {
     pub const PLANT_GROWTH_SCALE: f32 = 0.01;
     pub const SOIL_NUTRIENT_CONSUMPTION_RATE: f32 = 0.5;
     pub const SOIL_NUTRIENT_FIXATION_RATE: f32 = 0.002;
-    pub const WATER_CONSUMPTION_RATE: f32 = 0.06;
-    pub const PLANT_IDLE_WATER_CONSUMPTION_OFFSET: f32 = 0.05;
+    pub const WATER_CONSUMPTION_RATE: f32 = 0.1;
+    pub const PLANT_IDLE_WATER_CONSUMPTION_OFFSET: f32 = 0.2;
     pub const PLANT_DIEOFF_THRESHOLD: f32 = 0.3;
     pub const PLANT_DIEOFF_RATE: f32 = 0.2;
     pub const AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL_TICKS: u64 = 1024;
diff --git a/src/worldgen.rs b/src/worldgen.rs
index cc6d612..85b7ef8 100644
--- a/src/worldgen.rs
+++ b/src/worldgen.rs
@@ -205,13 +205,13 @@ pub fn compute_groundwater(water: &Map<f32>, rain: &Map<f32>, heightmap: &Map<f3
     let mut groundwater = distance_map(
         water.radius,
         water.iter().filter_map(|(c, i)| if *i > 0.0 { Some(c) } else { None }));
-    percentilize(&mut groundwater, |x| (1.0 - x).powf(0.3));
+    percentilize(&mut groundwater, |x| (1.0 - x).powf(1.1));
 
     for (coord, gw) in groundwater.iter_mut() {
-        *gw -= heightmap[coord] * 0.05;
-        *gw += rain[coord] * 0.15;
+        //*gw -= heightmap[coord] * 0.05;
+        *gw += rain[coord] * 0.5;
+        *gw = gw.clamp(0.0, 1.0);
     }
-    percentilize(&mut groundwater, |x| x.powf(0.7));
     groundwater
 }