If this spring has felt unusually wet, the numbers back it up. Halfway through April, Southern WI and Northern IL are nearing 7 inches of rain, with some local areas receiving much more. For reference, about 3.5 inches would be considered normal. April showers, indeed.

In my neighborhood, people are making the best of it. My neighbors have been racing a remote-controlled boat across what used to be a county park but now looks like a small lake. A few friends have joked about throwing a line in and catching bluegill out of their new backyard ponds. And my daughter is just excited about the number of earthworms crawling around. A future fisherman in the making.

What does all this rain mean for your yard? Grass can handle moisture, but it cannot handle being submerged for long stretches. Healthy soil has small pockets of air that roots rely on for oxygen. When those spaces fill with water, the plant essentially loses its ability to breathe. Research shows that once turf sits underwater for more than 7 to 10 days, it is often beyond recovery. Other university guidance notes that even four or more days of submersion can cause significant damage, depending on conditions.

The takeaway is simple. A few days of RC boat racing or bluegill fishing sounds fun, but after several days, real damage occurs. If flooding persists for multiple weeks, it often means you are looking at repair work rather than recovery.

And if experience is any guide, we will go from too much water to not enough in short order, so stay tuned. My next article will probably be about summer droughts!

If you’re dealing with drainage issues or any other type of lawn problems, we can help! You can start by answering a few quick questions about your lawn right now.