My yard turned into a pond after the last downpour and I'm stuck between two fixes

That heavy rain we had a few days ago left my whole backyard underwater for hours. A buddy of mine says installing a dry well is the way to go, but another friend thinks just adding more mulch and plants will soak it up naturally. I'm leaning towards the dry well cause it seems permanent, but the plant method is way cheaper and easier. Has anyone in Abq dealt with this kind of flooding before? I'm kinda stressed about picking the right option for our desert soil. Would love to hear what worked for you guys, lmao.

3 comments

3 Comments

palmer.christopher2mo ago

That bit about clay soil filling a dry well with mud makes a lot of sense. I read an article a while back that said in desert climates, the key is to break up the clay layer before installing any drainage system. They recommended using a mix of sand and compost to improve soil structure over time. It's not a quick fix, but it helps water soak in better. For your situation, maybe start with soil prep and then decide on the dry well if you still need it.

iris1752mo ago

Have you checked if your yard soil is mostly clay? In Abq, a lot of us have that dense, red clay that just doesn't drain well (I had the same problem last monsoon season, actually). Adding plants and mulch might help a little, but if the water sits for hours, it probably won't soak in fast enough. A dry well could work, but you might need to mix in some compost or sand to loosen the soil first. Otherwise, the dry well might just fill up with mud over time, you know?

the_wade2mo ago

Yeah I always figured more plants would fix it, but you're right about the soil prep coming first.