Watsonville Municipal Code Art. 8 Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance

Except as hereinafter provided, that certain water efficient landscape ordinance known and designated as the State of California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and under the California Code of Regulations as Sections 490 through 495 of Chapter 2.7 (Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance) of Division 2 (Department of Water Resources) of Title 23 (Waters) [23 CCR 490 et seq.] shall be and become the water efficient landscape ordinance of the City of Watsonville. This Watsonville water efficient landscape ordinance shall regulate landscaping and landscape irrigation design, construction, and maintenance, and the routine auditing of landscape irrigation systems based on an approved landscape water budget, which establishes the maximum amount of allowable water usage for a specified landscape.

(§ 1, Ord. 1325-15 (CM), eff. January 7, 2016)

Whenever the term “local agency” is used in the State of California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, said term shall be deemed and construed to mean the City of Watsonville.

(§ 1, Ord. 1325-15 (CM), eff. January 7, 2016)

(a) Property owners or their building or landscape designers, including anyone requiring a building or planning permit, plan check, or landscape design review from the City, who are constructing a new (single-family, multifamily, public, institutional, or commercial) project with a landscape area greater than five hundred (500) square feet, or rehabilitating an existing landscape with a total landscape area greater than two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet, shall comply with Sections 492.6(a)(3)(B), (C), (D), and (G) of the MWELO, including sections related to use of compost and mulch as delineated in this section.

(b) The following compost and mulch use requirements that are part of the MWELO are now also included as requirements of this section. Other requirements of the MWELO are in effect and can be found in 23 CCR, Division 2, Chapter 2.7.

(c) Property owners or their building or landscape designers that meet the threshold for MWELO compliance outlined in subsection (a) of this section shall:

(1) Comply with Sections 492.6 (a)(3)(B), (C), (D) and (G) of the MWELO, which require the submittal of a landscape design plan with a soil preparation, mulch, and amendments section to include the following:

(i) For landscape installations, compost at a rate of a minimum of four (4) cubic yards per one thousand (1,000) square feet of permeable area shall be incorporated to a depth of six (6") inches into the soil. Soils with greater than six (6%) percent organic matter in the top six (6") inches of soil are exempt from adding compost and tilling.

(ii) For landscape installations, a minimum three (3") inch layer of mulch shall be applied on all exposed soil surfaces of planting areas except in turf areas, creeping or rooting ground covers, or direct seeding applications where mulch is contraindicated. To provide habitat for beneficial insects and other wildlife up to five (5%) percent of the landscape area may be left without mulch. Designated insect habitat must be included in the landscape design plan as such.

(iii) Organic mulch materials made from recycled or post-consumer materials shall take precedence over inorganic materials or virgin forest products unless the recycled post-consumer organic products are not locally available. Organic mulches are not required where prohibited by local fuel modification plan guidelines or other applicable local ordinances.

(2) The MWELO compliance items listed in this section are not an inclusive list of MWELO requirements; therefore, property owners or their building or landscape designers that meet the threshold for MWELO compliance outlined in subsection (a) of this section shall consult the full MWELO for all requirements.

(d) If, after the adoption of this section, the California Department of Water Resources, or its successor agency, amends 23 CCR, Division 2, Chapter 2.7, Sections 492.6(a)(3)(B), (C), (D), and (G) of the MWELO September 15, 2015, requirements in a manner that requires the City to incorporate the requirements of an updated MWELO in a local ordinance, and the amended requirements include provisions more stringent than those required in this section, the revised requirements of 23 CCR, Division 2, Chapter 2.7 shall be enforced.

(§ 1, Ord. 1429-22 (CM), eff. May 26, 2022)

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Editor’s note: Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 6 was replaced in its entirety by § 1, Ord. 1252-10 (CM), eff. February 11, 2010. Prior history: Ord. 1176-04 C-M, eff. June 8, 2004; Ord. 1088-00 C-M, eff. April 14, 2000.