<p>The lowering of water tables is a contributing factor to the decline of breeding waders in agricultural grasslands across Europe. Increasing droughts by climate change pose an additional and growing risk of food scarcity for waders due to the desiccation of the topsoil. A potentially effective conservation measure is to raise water levels. In the 2014 breeding season, we tested the effects of temporarily raised water levels, distinguishing between three high water types according to current agri-environmental practices in Dutch farmland: raised water levels in a single ditch, area-wide raised water levels and raised water levels using foot drains. We measured soil characteristics that influence foraging conditions for waders across three transects (at 3, 10 and 50 m) along both experimental high-water ditches and low-water reference ditches on clay and clay-on-peat soils. Additionally, we measured the foraging success of adult Black-tailed Godwits (<i>Limosa limosa limosa</i>). All three high water (HW)-types had beneficial, yet distinct effects on groundwater levels, soil moisture content and soil penetration resistance. Especially the penetration resistance of the topsoil was reduced across all three HW-types. Single ditches were particularly effective in enhancing the soil moisture content of the top layer. Foot drains offered additional benefits by significantly lowering penetration resistance over a long distance into the field, leading to higher foraging success for adult Black-tailed Godwits on clay-on-peat soils. These impacts of temporarily raised water levels are crucial for countering the negative effects of drainage and the expected increase of intense droughts during the breeding season, during which, without high water measures, earthworms will become inaccessible to probing waders. Measured by area share of clay and clay-on-peat soils, the potential impact on regional wader populations is large.</p>