Question
when you first walk into my backyard, it is mushy in about 1/4 of the yard. When it rains, it holds water. The land also needs to leveled off in that small section. What can I do to fix this? Is there a certain type of sand and/or topsoil that will alleviate this problem? Does the yard have to be turned in the process?

Answer
Crystal, A lawn that is constantly soggy could be headed for a variety of potential problems.  If it is, improving the soil underfoot, and your drainage, ought to become your first priority now.  Because if you don't, you may just wake up one morning, look outside and find yourself staring at brown patches, green slime and mushrooms.

There are several possible ways to improve the drainage situation.  One I DO NOT recommend: Adding sand to the top-soil.  It may seem like an easy, cost efficient solution.  But you'll turn your soil into solid hardpan if the dirt in your part of the country is high in clay.

This is not such an unusual situation, actually.  You should of course make sure that all your landscape slopes away from the house.  If not, that's a top priority.  But let's assume you don't have to worry about that.  The right way to do this is to level your landscape, and then look into installing drainage pipes.  This is a real project, but it promises to be the most effective solution on the table.

Grass simply cannot thrive in waterlogged, mushy soil.  If you add organic matter - humus, compost, manure, even peat moss - you will improve the moisture problem by raising the moisture-holding capacity of your soil.

Fungus outbreaks are a common feature in lawns with moisture trouble, and they can spread with lightning speed.  If this is a problem you have, you ought to move fast on it.

HGTV addresses this problem from time to time.  That's how common it is.  I'd like to direct you to one episode (http://www.hgtv.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=51183) where they cover "swales" around the house.  Dictionary.com defines what a "swale" is:

"1. A low place in a tract of land, usually moister and often having ranker vegetation than the adjacent higher land.
2. A valleylike intersection of two slopes in a piece of land."

This is mainly a term you would find a Yankee using. People outside of the Northeast don't use it much, unless they're transplants.  The procedure involves digging channels or holes in the problem area, adding gravel and covering the area with dirt and finally grass.

The episode is hosted by Jon Eakes.  It's called "Drainage, Block Heaters & more."  See when they're airing it in your area.  I think it's worth watching.

When your drainage problem is solved, let's see what damage is left and we'll take the next step from there.  Any questions?