Question
There's an area in my backyard that fills up with about 2 inches of water every time it rains, it takes maybe the rest of the day to seep into the ground so naturally there's almost no grass in that area.  Lots of mud, tho.  Is there some way to drain this out so I can have a nice lawn this year?  What do you recommend?

Answer
There are several ways to drain a wet area.  The easiest is to raise the grade in the low spot so the the water will flow away.  Sometimes even a couple of inches is enough to cure the problem.  Sometimes a few well placed drainage holes dug down a couple of feet (or through the compacted layers of soil) can do the trick.  Backfill the holes with a coarse material at least halfway.  Using a water jet is another easy method.  This involves constructing a device made of steel pipe , 1/2 inch is best, about 4 feet long with one end sharpened for soil penetration, and a fitting to connect to a garden hose on the other end.  Turn on the water and puncture holes in the spot about 12" apart.  Installing a drain is a much more complicated endeavor.  You need a collection device, transmission pipe, a trench, and a place to drain to or connect a drain to.  Check out this website for more information.   http://www.polylok.com/index.asp