How to Manage Standing Water in Your Yard
In the South spring and fall typically mean the return of the rainy season. The spring rainy season is caused by polar fronts interacting with moist Gulf air. The fall rainy season is affected by hurricanes and tropical depressions in addition to the interaction of polar fronts and moist Gulf air. All of this rain can lead to wet spots in the yard where water tends to pool for a day or more. Below we will discuss some strategies to help prevent flooding, redirect runoff, or soak up the excess water.
Before getting started, always check to make sure the wet spot in your yard isn’t the result of a burst pipe or crack in your irrigation system. A plumber can help you remedy that situation.
6 Ways to Deal with Pooling Water in Your Yard
Aerate Your Lawn
The simplest strategy you can try if there are parts of your yard that stay wet too long is to aerate your lawn. Clay soil can get easily compacted due to foot traffic. Aerating reduces compaction in soil so that water can percolate through it faster. Many places like Lowes and Home Depot have lawn aerator machines available for rent. The job can be done in just a couple of hours.
Aerator machines work by pulling out small plugs as you run it over your grass and laying them back on the lawn. From there, the plugs naturally disintegrate back into the earth in about a week. Oxygen and water can then better percolate through your lawn once it is aerated. With clay soil, it is recommended to aerate your lawn once a year.
Switch to Permeable Materials
When selecting materials for pathways, patios, and driveways we tend to think of cement, asphalt, or other non-porous materials. These materials can lead to problem because water needs a place it can sink into the earth or it will collect leading to flooding.
By switching to permeable options, you allow water to sink down through the material and into the ground. Porous asphalt and concrete, permeable pavers, gravel, grass, and mulch can all be used to replace non-porous surfaces to decrease flooding and runoff
Fill in the Low Spots
If you have a small area that dips lower than the rest of your yard, you could fill it in with new topsoil or compost. Never use sand in clay soil. The sand will fill in the spaces between the clay particles and make your dirt practically cement. Compost is best because the low areas of your yard tend to have compacted soil, and the microbes found naturally in compost will help loosen your soil over time. Earthworms and other soil dwelling creatures will also help to break up compacted soil as they break down the compost.
You will find that bagged soil does not go very far when you are trying to level out the low spots in your yard. It will be faster and more economical to bring in the soil by the yard for this purpose.
Install a French Drain
A French drain is a piping system that collects water and redirects it to a different location. DIY French drain kits can be purchased at hardware stores or they can be installed by professionals depending on the extent of of your drainage issues. It is a long-term solution to the water pooling where it shouldn’t.
For a French drain to work, the perforated pipe will need to be able to run downhill to a lower part of your yard at a minimum slope of 1%, using gravity to get the water to flow in the right direction. the water coming out the end of the French drain should empty at the street where there are drains, into a rain garden, near a tree that can soak up the excess moisture, or into a naturally low lying part of your property.
Build a Rain Garden
Instead of dealing with a soggy lawn every time it rains, consider replacing that low, wet spot with a rain garden. They are built in the shape of a shallow basin, river or trough where water naturally collects as it runs off. Native plants and those that can tolerate periodic flooding are used in rain gardens. As the water passes by their roots, toxins, and contaminants are naturally filtered out so that they don’t end up in the ground water or sewer system.
Create a Dry Creek Bed
Dry creek beds are great options on their own or in combination with a rain garden to help filter water. If your property has low areas that tend to hold water, dry creek beds are a great solution. You can use them to create an area for water to drain to or where water can be slowed down and allowed to soak into. The other advantage to dry creek beds in that they typically require less excavation than some other drainage solutions.
A meandering dry creek bed works by reducing the velocity of the the water (increasing the likeliness that it will irrigate) and creates a more natural look. Dry creek beds use rocks of all sizes to help slow down and filtrate water.
