A lot of questions come to mind before a potential answer can be formulated. How much rain do you receive? Do you have gutters that run-off into the area that is moist? Is other run-off, from neighbors perhaps, directed at the area? Do you live in an area where there are underground springs? Does your water line going into the house run through this area? Does your home sewer pipe run through this area? If you have a septic system, is this area part of the field? I think finding the reason for or source of the moisture is key to your situation.

Best Wishes--Carl

HI Carl,

I am going to try to answer your questions:

I live just outside Columbia, SC and I would say we get an average amount of rain per year, nothing in excess.

We do not have gutters on the house yet but the area in question would not be affected with gutters. The area is in the top part of the lawn. If need be I can post some pictures.

We do not get any runoff from the neighbors.

We live in the city so there are no underground springs.

I am not sure about the water line but I can say that the water meter is on the opposite side of the driveway from where the problem area is.

Not sure about the sewer line but we do have city sewage and not septic.

We live in a home community and not in a rural area.

Hope this helps.

Let me make it clear that I am not a hydrologist or any type of engineer. merely a (somewhat) experienced gardener and avocational human geographer.....

The Columbia area has some interesting characteristics since it is just south of the "Fall Line" which separates the Piedmont from Coastal South Carolina. Assuming you live in Richland or an adjacent county, there will be a wide mixture of soils and a wide variance in groundwater level.

Since you are on a hill and are reporting moist soil, an absence of air-borne external sources, and a low probability of man-made underground problems, it is possible that the water table in your area (perhaps even your microclimate) is very high.

You could verify this if you were to dig some "test" holes down into the soil to see if the amount of moisture stays the same or increases (it could even begin to pool ) as you increase depth. If it does, the ground may be "permanently" moist and not able to be drained to make it dryer.

If this is the case, you should probably look into groundcovers than will tolerate moist soils and shade.

Just some thoughts--Carl

PS--Some of the sand and clay from Ft.Jackson is still in my shoes from forty years ago.--cgc--