Water management on foot paths

The foot paths on my site in Central Virginia have become quite muddy and waterlogged recently from all of the summer storms. They are currently covered with a few grass species, clover, and plantain (none of which were planted intentionally). Are there any species that function well as a groundcover while also having deep roots that allow water to penetrate more?

If not, what would be the best way to manage the water on the paths? My thought is to create a swale that borders the paths and use the excavated earth to raise the level of the paths.

My favorite thing to do is add lots of sawdust. It adds drainage and water retention at the same time as making the worms very happy around the sides. A mud/sawdust mixture is able to soak up plenty of water while maintaining its structural integrity.

I have never had any luck getting anything meaningful to grow in my foot paths where I live. The soil tend to get compacted, compared to the soil around the pathways, and it becomes more apparent when it rains with pooling. I transitioned a majority of my pathways to wood chips/sawdust/chop and drop now.

I like utilizing chipped pathways because it mitigates moisture, builds soil health through decomposition and reduces soil compaction underneath. Worms and other bugs appear attracted to my woodchip pathways which is just another added benefit.

My suggestion would be to add wood chips as Timothy suggests.

Trenching both sides of the paths would drain the water and speed up getting rid of the mud.

My old place had a problem with the path turning into ankle deep mud due to how the driveway and garage roof ran off into it. The whole yard would wash out after a big ran event and it was the only path to the back yard that Id take at least three times a day. So we made a inverted huglemound.  We dug it about 3-4 feet deep the whole way. Then added dead logs and branches and topped it off with free mulch. Its alot of work but the path way still works and that was 5 years ago now. I have a couple pictures of us making it.  It dose need a couple inches of mulch added to it once a year or it likes to sink down. We put fruit trees and garden beds along it where we could so they could benefit from the water in the pathway hopefully. The peach trees grow best along it to this day so I think it helps. Il see if I can remember to take any pictures of it now next time we visit.

P.S I thought I had more pictures but I must have them on another account.

The plantain already growing there is actually decent for compaction, it pushes through hard soil where most things give up. Wouldn't rip it out. That said the wood chip path idea is solid, switched most of mine over a couple years ago and the mud problem basically went away.

I wonder if you could do sort of a culvert/French drain idea with a perferated pipe--perhaps on either side of the path.  I wouldn't think you'd have to go too deep, but you could run a perferated pipe (wrapped in some sort of landscaping cloth to help the holes and pipe from getting plugged with soil), run it the length you want and then cover it back up with whatever path material you have.

You might try lining either side of the path with longer, thinner logs (4 to 6” inches diameter). You could fix them into place by drilling holes near either end of each log, and then driving rebar through the holes into the ground. Then, you would fill in between these two log lines with sawdust/woodchips.
No digging necessary (unless you need to even out a bumpy area). For even drier, I do like the perforated pipe/french drain suggestion from above. It might not be necessary to do both.

Decomposed granite, laid down thick, pressed, and maybe even with a little resin mixed in.
This kind of path won’t sink, or degrade or compost; allows shoes/boots/wheels/strollers/sticks to travel on path without sinking on or getting stuck.
Yet water still soaks in.
It’s a great path to have along food forests or hedgerows for harvesting, planting or weeding.
It’s more permanent, but not completely permanent, as cement or asphalt would be; and anyone can use it easily.

I don't know if this is possible for you. I made my garden in such a way that the paths are not level. They all go a little bit downwards to a deep pit, where the water can collect.

Most of the time there is no water in the pit, so it isn't a real pond. It's a temporary pond when there has been a lot of rain. But the water doesn't stay in puddles in my paths.

My go to for paths in my upstate NY property is sand. I have forest soil here very rich in clay & every time it rained it would stick inches thick on my shoes. I originally brought in a load of sand to cover the very sharp crusher run on my driveway, so nice❣️made it like the beach😁 every year or so I get another load of sand & spread it on the paths & it makes it so much easier. As the winter approaches, I leave a few small piles of sand in strategic places to spread on the ice to keep my footing, works great. Also, unfortunately, I have Asian jumping worms here too, they hate the sand & die fairly quickly when the traverse the sand areas, a real plus!!!
I like to save my wood chips for my compost piles & gardens. I found, altho wood chips compost down to improve the soil, on my steep pathways, it becomes slippery when wet.

Khara Phetteplace wrote:My go to for paths in my upstate NY property is sand.

I like to save my wood chips for my compost piles & gardens. I found, altho wood chips compost down to improve the soil, on my steep pathways, it becomes slippery when wet.

100%
Those are our issues too👍