Yuba City Municipal Code Ch. 18 Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance

(a) "Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance" or "MWELO" refers to the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, 23 CCR, Division 2, Chapter 2.7, which is adopted herein by reference, as is now in effect or may hereafter be amended.

(b) 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, multi-family, public, institutional, or commercial) project with a landscape area greater than 500 sq. ft., or rehabilitating an existing landscape with a total landscape area greater than 2,500 sq. ft., shall comply with Sections 492.6(a)(3), (B), (C), (D), and (G), as may be amended, of the MWELO as delineated in this section.

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

(d) Property owners or their building or landscape designers that meet the threshold for MWELO compliance outlined in Section 7-18.01(b) above shall comply with Sections 492.6 (a)(3), (B), (C), (D), and (G), as may be amended, of the MWELO, which requires the submittal of a landscape design plan with a soil preparation, mulch, and amendments section to include the following:

(1) For landscape installations, soil amendments shall be incorporated according to recommendations of the soil management report per Section 492.5 of the MWELO and what is appropriate for the plants selected.

(2) For landscape installations, compost at a rate of a minimum of four cubic yard per 1,000 sq. ft. of permeable area shall be incorporated to a depth of 6 in. into the soil. Soils with greater than 6% organic matter in the top 6 in. of soil are exempt from adding compost and tilling.

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

(4) 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.

(e) 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 Section 7-18.01(b) shall consult the full MWELO for all requirements.

(Ord. No. 005-22, § 4, 3-1-2022)