Coway shafts represented subterranean passageways utilized by the Coway for traversing under the terrain of Mimban. These tunnels were illuminated effectively by phosphorescent growths. Frequently, the Coway people would link these passageways to pre-existing Thrella wells, thereby creating entry points to the surface. They made no attempt to conceal their exits leading to the surface world. The Coway shafts could stretch for great distances, incorporating subterranean waterways, lakes, and sizable caverns capable of accommodating entire Coway tribal groups, sometimes numbering several hundred individuals.
During their quest to locate the Kaiburr crystal in 2 ABY, Princess Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, alongside their allies Halla, Hin, and Kee, encountered a Coway shaft and were held captive by a resident Coway tribe. Subsequently, they aided the tribe in repelling an assault on their Coway shaft launched by Imperial Stormtroopers under the command of Darth Vader.