For example, say you have a spot roughly ten square meters that has standing water after a day of average rainfall. Then say that, after a heavy rainfall lasting three days or more, the area expands to twenty square meters. In this instance, the problem area is probably still the original ten square meters, since the surrounding area usually doesn’t experience standing water.

Water goes wherever gravity takes it, so always work your way up from the affected area to find out how water is getting there.

Compaction from weight placed on it, such as parking vehicles on the same patch of earth repeatedly. Thick root structures from vegetation that block the water’s absorption through the topsoil. Soil that is composed mostly of clay, rather than sand and/or organic matter. Really try to read the landscape as you check the soil. Do you see any signs of erosion, or have you noticed any low spots when you were watering recently?[5] X Expert Source Ben BarkanGarden & Landscape Designer Expert Interview. 14 April 2020.

Tie a string around the first stake where it meets the ground. Then tie the other end to the second stake, using a level to determine how high up to make your knot, in order to keep the string perfectly horizontal. Go along the length of the string and measure its height off the ground to see how much it drops as you move away from the house. A level could also help with this. [7] X Expert Source Ben BarkanGarden & Landscape Designer Expert Interview. 14 April 2020. Ideally, your lawn should drop off a couple of inches (5 cm) every ten feet (3 m) from your house. If the ground rises again as you move away from the house, this may be part of your drainage problem.

Remember to keep the slope of your lawn running downward from your house, not toward it. Your lawn’s slope should ideally lower by a couple inches (5 cm) every ten feet (3 m) from your house.

Installing a rain barrel to collect water from your gutters is a great way to minimize the amount that your lawn has to absorb. It’s also a great no-waste practice, as the rainwater can be used to water plants.

Be mindful of neighbors when plotting your creek’s course. Diverting standing water might solve your drainage issues, but flooding their yard may create a whole new problem.

All models are generally divided into two classifications: spike and core aerators. Core aerators are widely considered the most effective. Aerating your lawn will also attract more worm activity. Worms will create even more pathways for water to travel into and through the soil.

The new organic material will be lighter and more permeable than clay. It will also promote plant life, which in turn will absorb more water through its roots. Worms will also be drawn to the richer soil, and the holes they create will increase drainage. Gypsum and limestone are also effective at breaking up clay for more permeability.

Ideal plants for clay: (trees) birch, blue spruce, crabapple, douglas fir, eastern hemlock, eucalyptus, Japanese maple, juneberry, Norway spruce, western red cedar; (shrubs) barberry, butterfly bush, hydrangea, rose, viburnum; (plants) bigleaf periwinkle, common juniper, creeping juniper, creeping raspberry, elephant’s ears, geranium.

Keep your rain garden at least 10 feet (3 m) from the house and at least 50 feet (15. 2 m) from a septic system. In the U. S. , call 811 to make sure underground utilities aren’t in the way. [15] X Research source Ideally, all the water in your rain garden should be absorbed within a day of rainfall. This is partly why creating a rain garden in clay soil isn’t a solution, since water has a tougher time draining through clay. A rain garden is a great endpoint for gutter drains and dry creek beds to get rid of runoff from roofs, driveways, and patios.