810.0401 Findings and Purpose. — Yucaipa Zoning Code

(a) That the waters of the State are of limited supply and are subject to ever increasing demands;

(b) That the continuation of California’s economic prosperity is dependent on the availability of adequate supplies of water for future uses;

(c) That it is the policy of the State to promote the conservation and efficient use of water and to prevent the waste of this valuable resource;

(d) That landscapes are essential to the quality of life in California by providing areas for active and passive recreation and as an enhancement to the environment by cleaning air and water, preventing erosion, offering fire protection, and replacing ecosystems lost to development; and

(e) That landscape design, installation, maintenance and management can and should be water efficient; and

(f) That Section 2 of Article X of the California Constitution specifies that the right to use water is limited to the amount reasonably required for the beneficial use to be served and the right does not and shall not extend to waste or unreasonable method of use.
(g) Consistent with these findings, the purpose of this chapter is to:
(1) Promote the values and benefits of landscaping practices that integrate and go beyond the conservation and efficient use of water;
(2) Establish a structure for planning, designing, installing, maintaining and managing water efficient landscapes in new construction and rehabilitated projects by encouraging the use of a watershed approach that requires cross-sector collaboration of industry, government and property owners to achieve the many benefits possible;
(3) Establish provisions for water management practices and water waste prevention for existing landscapes;
(4) Use water efficiently without waste by setting a Maximum Applied Water Allowance as an upper limit for water use and reduce water use to the lowest practical amount;
(5) Promote the benefits of consistent landscape ordinances with neighboring local and regional agencies;
(6) Establish economic incentives that promote the efficient use of water, such as implementing a tiered-rate structure; and
(7) Adopt the necessary authority that implements and enforces the provisions of the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. (Amended by Ord. 338 § 1, 2015; Ord. 293 § 3, 2009)