I'm trying to design a footpath for a muddy long area with poor drainage.
Path is about 100 ft long and four feet wide. During heavy rain it builds
up a two inch lake of water. Could someone criticize the following design
for draining this area and building a walkway over it?

1) Dig a ditch and test that it drains correctly.

2) Line ditch with plastic allowing about 1 to 1.5 feet of extra plastic on
either side of ditch.

3) Lay down 1.5" drainage rock in ditch and on either side of ditch.

4) Lay down 1.5 to 2" thick flagstone, approximate 2 foot square slabs,
along the path, left loose on top of drainage rock and pressed down to
settle flat on that rock.

5) Lay down about 1" of wood chips on top of remaining drainage rock, to
provide safe footing for anyone who steps off the flagstone. This part
may not work very well if the occasional high wind hits the area or
gardeners use blowers and end up spreading the chips irregularly.
Alternate ideas for top layers would be appreciated.

Any variants on the above and reasons for the alternate design are
appreciated.

--
Will