9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Clark County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Clark County, grasses and nuisance weeds taller than 12 inches in any front, side, or rear yard, including vacant lots, are a declared public nuisance. Complaints are accepted May 1 through September 30. Agricultural berry vines and cultivated grass are exempt.
CCC 9.24.010
All grasses and nuisance weeds greater than twelve (12) inches on any property within the front, side, and rear yards, including vacant lots. Nothing herein shall prohibit the growth of berry vines or grass which are cultivated and used for agricultural purposes.
Clark County lets you prune and maintain trees, but landscaping required by the Unified Development Code must be kept healthy, and pruning must not impair the survival of trees required to be retained or planted. Vegetation must also be trimmed so it does not block utilities, access, or sight distance.
CCC 40.320.010(G)(6)
Vegetation shall be controlled by pruning, trimming or otherwise so that it will not interfere with the maintenance or repair of any public utility, restrict pedestrian or vehicular access, or obstruct sight distance at intersections as provided in Section 40.320.020.
Clark County has no general permit for removing a single yard tree, but commercial-scale tree cutting is a forest practice under RCW 76.09 and CCC 40.260.080, and removing trees in or near wetlands, streams, or habitat areas requires review. An approved forest practice can trigger a six-year development moratorium.
Washington's RCW 17.10 requires every property owner to eradicate Class A noxious weeds and control designated Class B and listed Class C weeds. The Clark County Noxious Weed Control Board maintains the county weed list and enforces control. Controlling noxious weeds on your property is your legal responsibility.
RCW 17.10.140(1)
Every owner must perform or cause to be performed those acts as may be necessary to: (a) Eradicate all class A noxious weeds; (b) Control and prevent the spread of all class B noxious weeds designated for control in that region within and from the owner's property.
Clark County itself imposes no countywide lawn-watering schedule. Water is delivered by local utilities and districts, chiefly Clark Public Utilities, which serves Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek, and unincorporated north county. Check your provider for any conservation measures; CPU charges a higher summer peak rate rather than a mandatory watering ban.
Rainwater harvesting is legal in Clark County and statewide. Washington's Department of Ecology exempts on-site rooftop rainwater collection from water-right permitting, provided the water is used on the property it is collected from and comes from a roof whose primary purpose is something other than catching rain. Indoor potable use
Clark County actively encourages native landscaping. Its development code favors compatibility with existing native vegetation and drought-resistant plantings, and county programs like Naturally Beautiful Backyards, the Backyard Habitat Certification Program, and free tree/reforestation efforts promote native plants for wildlife and stormwater. There is no rule requiring native-only yards.
CCC 40.320.010(G)(4)
Landscape materials should be selected and sited to produce a hardy and drought-resistant landscape area. Selection should include consideration of... compatibility with existing native vegetation preserved on the site, water conservation where needed...
Clark County has no ordinance banning residential artificial turf, and homeowners may install it in their yards. In development-regulated landscaping, county code specifies that groundcover plants, grass lawn, or approved flowers must cover required landscaped areas, so synthetic turf may not satisfy required plantings without approval from the responsible official.
CCC 40.320.010(B)(1)(b)
Groundcover plants, grass lawn or approved flowers must fully cover the landscaped area not in shrubs and trees.
Clark County encourages backyard composting and runs free workshops, We Compost community food-waste hubs, and a Composter Recycler program. Optional every-other-week curbside yard-debris carts are offered by Waste Connections to single-family homes; curbside food-waste organics collection is limited to Vancouver and Ridgefield city limits.
1 cities in Clark County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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