Question
it could be many things, broken pipe what type of soil "clay"? or in my case i had to run a drain the lenth of my whole yard 125ft by 155ft and it worked very well but i live on a mountian and all the water was comming in my yard from the mountian side and i also have under ground and above ground brooks comming in that i had to re-route, the water table is high as well and behind my yard is all wet lands. just had it all back filled 70 truck loads but it is alot of clay so there is another issue that i have to deal with myself but i think i will grade it and have the pitch towards the back of the yard where the drain is and tons of 2inch stone is and hope it drains good before i put in the 6 inch thick loam and get the yard hydro seeded.

take care,bruce


Subject: soggy new lawn

Question
Hi Charlotte,

We moved into a new home in September and had some extensive landscaping done which required moving in and moving around a lot of earth. This work was finished in late September and we waited for grass to grow. While it did sprout, there remains a large area where the ground remains very, very soggy. We had that area re-graded and it is still very very soggy. Our builder told us that eventually the ground will settle down and it will not be so soggy. Our landscaper doesn't seem to know what else to suggest beyond the re-grading he did already. Can you help? Will things eventually settle down (and how long is "eventually") or do we likely need a french drain or other drainage system in that area?

We live in Hockessin Delaware, northern DE, 19707  

Answer
Ho Bruce.
I am sorry, but I HAVE to be so glad that is your lawn and not mine.LOl
You do have some challenges, don't you?
Don't see what else bit rerouting could be done.
The nderground brooks have GOT to be a hard problem to handle.

I have no idea where this could go but, would it be possible to get some larger stones, drop in slabs or something, to anchor some dirt well enough to get some fairly good trees planted so the roots would anchor in the hillside nearest your house, and just sort of build a river goping on each side of your property?
I have a mental picture of a steam acching down each side of your house, sort of like the old rounded staircases you sometimes see in pics of southern mansions.
Toss some big stones in there to make the brook gurgle as it winds down the hillside.
Sure would be pretty.
Will pecan trees grow where you are? Those suckers have a tap root twice as long as the height of the tree above ground. They should anchor soil well.
Souinds like you have a pretty good plan.
I just don't know about water problems. I live in North Texas, and out water problems here are the recerse of what you have.
I don't know what a french drain is, but definately something that will allow the water to drain away, and keep the soil in place.
That it will eventually settle sounds not quite right to me. Would eventually be 3 or 4 years, or 30 or 40 years. That is what would concern me.
Seems if the water problem is not solved, it is going to continue.
I don't see how the soil will settle if it is constantly being fed by that underground spring.
I wiould think that spring wiould have to be rerouted.
Wish I could help you more, but that is just not a problem I have ever come across.
Charlotte