Question
We're trying to landscape our house and we have discovered some very disturbing "mud bubble" type things under our topsoil. When you walk over them the ground waves like you're walking on top of a water bed, but the soil that you walk on never gets damp or muddy. I've dug about one to two feet deep and have only found damp clay but nothing actually watery. It's really very strange. Is this anything to be worried about?

Thanks,

Aaron

Answer
Hi Aaron, It's nothing to worry about.  When some types of soil get saturated with water, they feel like they "flow" under your weight.  Saturation occurs when the soil holds all the water it can.  It's not muddy, there's no excess water, it's like a sponge holding all the water it can without dripping. It's especially noticeable under thick turf like bermudagrass.  As the soil begins to dry with warmer temperatures, it "firms" up.  My yard does exactly the same thing.  Jim