How to Dry Up a Wet Yard

Co-authored by Keith Souza

Last Updated: January 3, 2022 References

No matter where you live, a hard rain can turn your yard into a mess of mud and water puddles that won’t dry. Wet yards happen for a number of reasons but usually stem from poor soil and drainage systems. To dry out the water, check your yard to find the source of the problem. For small, individual patches of moisture, dry your yard by leveling out the soil and possibly planting water-resistant plants. For large-scale problems, look into getting a drainage system like a French drain or dry well.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Keith Souza
Home Improvement Specialist
Expert Interview. 20 August 2021.} With the proper treatment, you won’t need to worry about water runoff causing damage to your home.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Fixing Small Patches of Moisture

1
Clear the wet areas of plants and debris. Pick up any noticeable rocks, sticks, and other loose material where the water tends to pool in your yard. To fix these areas, you will also need to get rid of all plants there, including grass. If you plan on saving these plants, dig carefully around them in a circle until you reach the bottom of their roots, then pry them out of the ground with a spade.^{[2]
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- If you don’t plan on saving the plants, you don’t have to be as cautious with them. You could cut larger plants to make them easier to remove. However, consider digging down to remove weed roots whole.
- To remove sod, dig around the area using a spade, then use the spade to divide the sod into strips about 1 ft (0.30 m) wide. Pry up the edges of the strips to sever the roots, then roll them up by hand.
2
Dig out any wet areas to prepare to fix them. Use a spade or another tool to make a hole about 6 in (15 cm) deep. The hole can be as wide as you need, so dig out the entire problem area. Remove all of the soil in the wet spot, setting it aside on dry ground nearby or in a wheelbarrow.^{[3]
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- If the soil is dry, rent a rototiller from a nearby home improvement store. Push it over the trouble spots to turn up the soil.
- If large parts of your yard are wet, you are better off rototilling the entire yard or installing a drainage system. Fill in small spots that are uneven or easy to dig up by hand.
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3
Fill in the holes by adding a topsoil mixed with sand. Select a quality topsoil with a balanced amount of clay and sand. Then, get some construction-grade sand. Mix together 2 parts sand, 2 parts topsoil and 1 part compost. Then, combine the mixture with the original soil at the bottom of the hole. If your soil doesn’t absorb water very well, adding sand and compost can help loosen it.^{[4]
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- Mix the soil together using a spade or rototiller. When you’re done, fill in the rest of the hole as needed with more soil.
4
Shape the soil to fill in holes and redirect water toward drainage areas. If the problematic spots were lower than the rest of your yard, filling in and flattening them often leads to better absorption. Slope the land as needed to force water to flow toward better drainage areas. A slope of about 2% is generally steep enough to force water away from the rest of your yard. Gradually change the slope by moving the soil around and raking it flat.^{[5]
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- A slope of 2% means the elevation of the soil changes by about ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) over 12 in (30 cm) in distance. A steeper slope more easily redirects excess water.
- Measure the slope of an area by planting stakes and running a string between them.
- Dig soil from higher areas to move to lower ones. You may need to work on the rest of your yard as well to form an effective slope.
5
Press down on the soil with a tamper tool. Get a tamper, which is a flat piece of metal that pushes soil down to compact it and level it out. Press down on the exposed soil until it blends in with the rest of your yard. Make sure it looks flat or forms a smooth slope capable of absorbing and redirecting water.^{[6]
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- Watering the lawn will also help compact the soil mixture. Use the moisture to check how well the sand and compost help solve the drainage issue.
6
Cover the ground with water-absorbing plants if it is bare. Sod and grass seeds are some of the best ways to fix swampy areas in a yard. If you just finished amending an area with new topsoil, complete it with a fresh covering. Try unrolling sod over the bare area. If you’re filling in a grassy yard, spread grass seeds and rake them into the soil.^{[7]
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- Consider covering fresh grass seeds with a ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) layer of topsoil followed by an equal layer of straw to protect them from birds.
- If you’re looking for something different, get some moisture-resistant plants like ferns, phlox, violets, arrowwood, and elderberry. These plants can help dry out your yard even if the soil composition and grade aren’t a problem.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Eliminating Widespread Moisture Problems

1
Add compost if your yard doesn’t have a good soil consistency. Use an organic compost like leaf mulch, grass clippings, or even bark. If you have grass, spread the compost into a ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm)-thick layer. Rake it into the soil at least once a year, either in late fall or early spring. The organic material opens up the soil for better drainage while also promoting the growth of water-absorbing plants.^{[8]
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- As long as you don’t add too much compost, it won’t cover up grass and other existing plants in your yard. Many wet spots are already barren, so they will stay barren until you grow something, such as sod or grass.
- You may need to wait a couple of seasons to see any change in the soil. The organic material needs time to break down and mix into the yard.
- If your yard is in bad shape, consider renting a rototiller to mix compost about 10 in (25 cm) deep into the soil. Doing this will destroy a lawn but have a much more immediate effect on drainage.
- Consider mixing sand or peat moss into the soil as well if you plan on rototilling the entire yard. It helps drain water from poor, clay-heavy soil.
2
Make a French drain if you need to draw water away from the yard.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Keith Souza
Home Improvement Specialist
Expert Interview. 20 August 2021.} A French drain isn’t as fancy as it sounds. It is little more than a perforated pipe in the ground. To start, dig a trench about 2 ft (0.61 m) wide and at least 6 ft (1.8 m) in your yard. Then, line the trench with landscape paper before, then set the pipe on top of it. Cover it with gravel, followed by topsoil to hide it.^{[10]
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- When the drainage pipe works correctly, water seeps through the fabric. The pipe then carries excess moisture away to a lower part of your yard.
- The French pipe works best when it spans from the wet areas in your yard toward drainage spots like a storm drain or swale. A swale is a shallow ditch that may contain a drainage outlet.
- Check online or at a home improvement store for a French drainage pipe. If you can’t find one, make one by poking plastic holes in a regular pipe.
3
Construct a dry well to direct rainwater near buildings. For a dry well, you need to dig a hole about 10 ft (120 in) from the nearest drain or downspout in the wet portion of your yard. Fit it with a plastic dry well tank, then line the tank with landscape paper. Next, run a PVC pipe from the drainage pipe or downspout to the tank. Fill in the remaining space with gravel.^{[11]
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- Landscape paper releases water while preventing gravel from getting into the tank. It enables the tank to store water and gradually release it so your yard doesn’t get too wet.
- Shop online or at local home improvement stores for the supplies you need.
4
Install a cistern if you need to store water runoff from the roof. A cistern is very similar to a dry well, but it is usually used to redirect rainwater back into your home. Have a contractor dig a hole in your yard and then place the tank in it. The tank is usually made of material like concrete and cinder blocks. The water then can be rerouted to your home through PVC pipes fitted to the tank’s valve and pump.
- Another option is to get an above-ground cistern, which is just a big barrel to store water collected from smaller rain barrels.
- A cistern is a great way to save money by repurposing rainwater. Use it wherever you don’t need clean drinking water, such as for laundry, toilets, or watering plants.
5
Build a rain garden if you live in a rainy climate. Since you can’t stop heavy rainfall, let a garden handle the problem. You will need to remove existing plants and debris before shaping the soil into a raised area with a small ridge around it. Make sure your yard slopes toward the rain garden so excess water reaches the plants. Then, fill the garden with various moisture-tolerant plants.^{[12]
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- Keep hardy plants in the high-moisture areas, usually at the lowest points of the garden. Some options include goldenrod, elderberry, swamp rose, and blue vervain.
- Place less moisture-tolerant plants in the other parts of the garden. Try using sage, daylilies, and lavender, among others.
- Since changing a yard’s grade can get expensive, gardens are usually paired with systems like plastic drainage pipes or rock channels. Look into installing a French drain or swale.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finding the Cause of Moisture Damage

1
Watch your yard after a storm to see where the water accumulates. Note how the water moves across your yard during the storm. Then, take a walk around your yard right after a solid day of rain. Look for mud and standing puddles that don’t dry out within a day. Find out if the problem happens in small, separate patches or one large area.^{[13]
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- Water is supposed to move downhill, away from your home, and into a drainage outlet. If you see standing puddles or water flowing back toward your home, then the yard’s slope could be to blame.
- Individual spots are much easier to treat by filling them in, amending the soil, or growing absorbent plants.
2
Search for leaks or other possible causes for the moisture buildup. Check the downspout coming off your roof as well as any nearby utility pipes. Leaky pipes sometimes cause small patches of moisture, including near buildings. Another possibility is that you have a natural spring that lets water come up to the surface.^{[14]
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- If you suspect a leak, try turning off your home’s water supply to see if your water meter continues to increase. For leaky municipal lines outside your home, test the water for chlorine and other treatment chemicals.
- Springs often occur in hilly areas with clay soil. If you have one, consider preserving it. You could also drain it using a French pipe or another method.
3
Test the soil to see if it’s capable of absorbing enough water. Clay soil absorbs water, which eventually turns into puddles. To perform a test, fill a mason jar full of soil from the problem area. Fill the jar up with water, then wait for the components to separate. Sand sinks to the bottom, followed by a layer of silt, then clay.^{[15]
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- Mark the level of sand after 1 minute, then mark the silt level after 2 hours. Mark the clay level after the water in the jar clears to begin measuring the proportion of each component in the soil.
- Another way to test absorption is by digging a hole 1 ft (0.30 m) deep and 4 in (10 cm) wide. Fill it with water to see how quickly it drains. If it takes more than 4 hours the second time, then amend the soil with sand and compost.^{[16]
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- If your soil isn’t at the right composition, amend it by mixing in sand and compost.
4
Aerate the soil to see if it can absorb water. Compaction is a very common problem in areas with lots of clay or foot traffic. If your yard can’t seem to retain water and you notice brown or thinning plants, get a core aerator or a gardening fork. While the soil is moist, use one of the tools to poke 3 in (7.6 cm) holes in the ground, spacing them about 3 in (7.6 cm) apart. Let your yard air out while you look for other causes behind the water problem.
- You can rent an aerator from most home improvement centers. An aerator is a machine that removes a plug of soil. The air that enters the holes loosens the soil to make it more absorbent.
5
Consult a contractor if you suspect your yard is over water or bedrock. If you know your home is in a region that has a lot of bedrock or high groundwater, you won’t be able to fix the issue without assistance. Call up the nearest extension office or your local government's conservation department. Let them look up a regional survey map or come out to test the soil. Then, wait for them to give you advice or refer you to a qualified contractor.^{[17]
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- Another common problem in some parts of the world is marshland. You may not be able to drain marshland without government clearance first. It can also be tough to drain completely.
- Usually, you need to either build a rain garden or install wells and drains to deal with these issues.

Warnings

Before doing any sort of construction or installation on your property, check your city’s regulations. You may need to apply for a building permit at city hall.

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