Most of Clackamas sits on heavy clay loam left behind by old stream terraces — great for holding water in January, terrible for draining it. If your yard pools after a hard rain or your lawn goes rock-hard by August, that's not bad luck, that's the soil. We grade, install drainage, and pick plantings (natives like Oregon grape and sword fern do well here) that actually work with what's under your feet instead of fighting it every season.