I can’t recommend earthworks enough for wet! The northeast is “supposed to” be forested, and in any old forests you can see how the soil is mounded up and pitted, which both soaks water and allows aeration and drainage.
I opened up Akiva Silver’s Trees of Power book the other day (also in upstate New York) and he mentions how much of a difference this makes for trees—many don’t grow in the ordinary soil, too waterlogged, but up on the mounds are growing quite vigorously.
In my meadow/garden I have found that it’s very wet in spring, but dries out in summer. Having trenches and swales has helped tremendously with plant growth and fertility, and helps keep out runoff, as much of that water is likely doing.
I terrace gradually, which is a concept you can read more about here.
https://permies.com/p/3452828 I dig a trench and make a berm directly upslope. Every year I move some more soil from the trench to the berm, at the same time as gardening and trench-composting to fill in the space upslope behind the berm.
