Colusa County, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential Limit
- 50 dBA night / 55 day
- Ag/Comm/Ind Limit
- 55 night / 60 day
- Zoning Cap
- 60 dB at non-industrial line
- Absolute Ceiling
- 80 dBA maximum
- Code Section
- Chapter 13, Ord. 730
Summary
Colusa County caps noise at 50 dBA at night and 55 dBA daytime at the nearest home's property line under its noise ordinance (Chapter 13, Ord. No. 730). A data center's cooling systems and generators must meet these limits, plus a 60 dB zoning cap at adjacent non-industrial property lines.
No person shall produce, suffer, or allow to be produced on any public or private property sounds at a level in excess of those enumerated in Table No. 1, when measured at its property plane of the nearest property.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 850, passed April 7, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Colusa County has adopted a countywide noise ordinance (Chapter 13, Ord. No. 730) that designates the county 'a quiet county.' Table No. 1 (Section 13-6) limits noise at the complainant's property plane to 50 dBA (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and 55 dBA (7 a.m. to 9 p.m.) where the affected land is residential, and 55/60 dBA where it is agricultural, commercial, or industrial. Section 13-7 caps any source at 20 dBA above the limit, never exceeding 80 dBA. Zoning Code Section 44-2.50.20 separately bars industrial uses from exceeding 60 dB at adjacent non-industrial property lines. For a data center, continuously running chillers and generator testing are the concern; the county can require enclosures and setbacks as permit conditions.
Violations & Fines
Noise-ordinance violations are misdemeanors under Section 13-3; the first two within a year draw fines, a third can bring jail. Each day is a separate offense, and the noise is a public nuisance subject to abatement or injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the noise limit for a data center in Colusa County?
How does Colusa County enforce data-center noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colusa County
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