Water Drainage and Landscaping

Determination

• Dig a 1-foot deep hole in the site that is 12 inches wide and fill it with water when the soil is moist. Check the hole after three hours. If the hole is empty, the water drainage on the site is good. If it takes longer than 12 hours to drain, there is a drainage problem with the site.

Signs

• Poor water drainage is evident by puddles that never leave and soil that is constantly soggy. This is caused by compacted soil or a high water table. Compacted soil resembles natural concrete and water pools on the surface rather than being absorbed into the soil.

Solutions

• Water drainage problems are fixed by adjusting the grade of the landscape. Most areas will be fixed with a 1-foot drop for every 100 feet of landscape. The creation of a drainage pond gives the water somewhere to run to and lends an item of interest to the landscape.