Water, Water, EVERYWHERE!

My back pasture/backyard floods completely when it rains, and it stays wet most of the time. It is so boggy we cant play in the yard, and I am afraid to garden in the area because the water is carrying garbage and who knows what else. I can see an oil/gas like residue in the puddles. I also have problem with water in my crawlspace. I am thinking the water table is high since we are on a slope. Heres a video, I think it is easier to explain if you can see what Im talking about. I need some help please!!

Hi Sarah, here are some thoughts I had after watching your video...

Water in the crawlspace:  Do your downspouts on the uphill side of the house get the water around to the sides of the house?  If not, redirecting them may help.  If it isn't caused by your own downspouts, I'd either put in a permanent sump pump or if the slope is great enough, drain the crawlspace "to daylight" down the hill.  That means if the water in the crawlspace is higher than your garden area (for instance), you can put a drain in the crawlspace and trench it downhill at a slight slope until it breaks through the surface of the soil.  Then the crawlspace will automatically drain.

Muddy back yard:  I would be tempted to create a river bed for that water to flow through.  Dig a ditch either along the path it currently takes or give it another path that you'd prefer.  Maybe into a pond?  Then before it leaves your property let it return into its current seasonal flow without a river bed.  Then the neighbors can't complain that you're giving them any more water than they previously received.  And you can determine where the water goes.  Maybe some swales or rain gardens or willow trees could suck up some of the water as well.

Garden spot:  I'd probably try to find a higher spot for the garden if you can.  If you can't, I'd think about a berm on the uphill side to redirect water around the garden.  I'd also consider raised beds.

Good luck!!!

Thank you! Im trying really hard to be patient and watch to see how this property behaves, but I think Im going to go ahead and take our advice and dig a riverbed through the yard in the worst spot...as soon as the mud dries.