Abstract: This paper uses Dongting Lake soft soil and high organic matter content peat soil to reshape samples with different organic matter content. It conducts one-dimensional consolidation creep tests to detected the content of adsorbed bound water and organic matter. It then determines the relationship between adsorbed bound water and organic matter content. It analyzes the effect of organic matter content on the secondary consolidation characteristics of soft soil. The research results show that the organic matter in the soil and the adsorbed bound water are linearly increasing: the higher content of organic matter,the greater the content of adsorbed bound water. In view of this,we put forward the corresponding calculation formula. Moreover,the relationship curve between secondary consolidation coefficient and consolidation pressure has a peak point near the structural strength. The secondary consolidation coefficient can be approximately regarded as a constant under the action of large consolidation pressure. In addition,with the increase of organic matter content in soil,the secondary consolidation coefficient increases obviously,especially at high stress level. We discuss its causes in this paper. The research has certain guiding significance for controlling post construction settlement in soft soil area.