San Jacinto, CA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Chapter 15.30 (Dust Control)
- Windbreak height
- Fabric fences at least four feet above grade
- Windbreak coverage
- All construction sites, active or inactive
- Soil binders
- Required on agricultural and inactive construction sites
- Discing water trucks
- Required May 1st through October 31st
- Infraction fine, first violation
- Not more than $100
Summary
In the City of San Jacinto, California, construction sites and inactive sites must control wind erosion: exposed soil on inactive construction sites gets soil binders, and every construction site, active or inactive, needs upwind fabric windbreaks at least four feet above grade, anchored at the bottom and kept upright and functional.
B. Application of Soil Binders. For all property used for agricultural operations and inactive construction sites, soil binders shall be applied to exposed soil surfaces to temporarily prevent wind induced erosion. Soil binders are a site-specific, environmentally benign material sprayed onto exposed soil. C. Upwind Temporary Windbreaks. All construction sites (whether active or inactive) shall have installed temporary upwind windbreaks, including fabric fences at least four feet above grade in height, and with the bottom of the fence sufficiently anchored to the ground to prevent material from blowing underneath the fence. The aforementioned temporary windbreaks and fabric fences shall be maintained in an upright and functional condition at all times until the state of emergency has been removed.
Full Breakdown
The City of San Jacinto handles soil erosion on construction sites through Chapter 15.30 (Dust Control) of the Municipal Code. The Development Code points straight to it: § 17.520.040 (Soil Conservation) says only to see Chapter 15.30.
Section 15.30.010(B) requires soil binders on all property used for agricultural operations and inactive construction sites. They are applied to exposed soil surfaces to temporarily prevent wind induced erosion, and the code defines a soil binder as a site-specific, environmentally benign material sprayed onto exposed soil. Section 15.30.010(C) requires every construction site, whether active or inactive, to have temporary upwind windbreaks, including fabric fences at least four feet above grade in height, with the bottom of the fence sufficiently anchored to the ground to prevent material from blowing underneath. Windbreaks and fabric fences must be maintained in an upright and functional condition at all times until the state of emergency has been removed.
The same section covers disturbed ground more broadly. Under subsection (A), nobody can disturb the topsoil or remove ground cover and then leave the property unoccupied, unused, vacant or undeveloped without reasonable actions for weed abatement and prevention of manmade dust, including soil binders and windbreaks. When discing is used for weed abatement from May 1st through October 31st, active water trucks must follow the discing machinery. Subsection (D) makes property owners responsible for watering or applying chemical suppressants on vacant land, and on paved or unpaved parking lots and roadways, applied at the manufacturer's recommended amounts and rates.
Runoff is a separate duty. Under § 13.44.130, contractors building new development or redevelopment, and the owners, must control stormwater runoff to prevent deterioration of water quality, and the director of community development identifies the best management practices. Section 17.520.050 sends discharges to Chapter 13.44 and to the Water Quality Management Plan requirement in § 17.600.100.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 15.30 prints no penalty of its own, so § 1.24.010 applies: a violation of a city ordinance is a misdemeanor unless made an infraction. Section 1.24.030 sets infraction fines of not more than $100 for a first violation, not more than $200 for a second within one year and not more than $500 for each additional violation within one year. Under § 1.24.020 a misdemeanor carries a fine of not more than $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, and § 1.24.040 makes each day a separate offense. For stormwater runoff violations, § 13.44.210 makes a violation an infraction, with repeat violations prosecutable as misdemeanors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a San Jacinto construction site need a windbreak?
When are soil binders required in the City of San Jacinto?
What happens if I clear vacant land in San Jacinto and leave it bare?
Who sets stormwater controls for new development in San Jacinto?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Jacinto
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