I believe you're right...
Around here we have problems like that, and the worst is always in the Spring thaw, while the ground is still frozen... big rains on thawed turf sometimes can be managed , but underground drainage does nothing when frozen...
A scaper friend of mine installed a parking lot built from various sized rock then covered with pavers and anytime of the year, no matter how much raging water comes by the place, it never reaches the other side before its gone... even winter rains can't turn to ice there...
