Calaveras County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Calaveras County, CA, also called the watering schedule, outdoor irrigation rules, or drought ordinance, set which days and hours you can run sprinklers or irrigation.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Calaveras County Code Ch. 17.20
- State standard adopted
- MWELO, 23 CCR § 2.7
- Also required
- CALGreen § 4.304.1
- Applies to
- all landscape projects countywide
- R2/R3 setbacks
- front & street-side setbacks must be landscaped
- Construction disturbance
- must replant native/drought-tolerant species
Summary
Every landscape project installed in unincorporated Calaveras County, from new subdivisions to commercial parking-lot plantings, must meet the state's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and the CALGreen irrigation-efficiency standard, adopted countywide by Section 17.20.030 of Chapter 17.20, Landscaping.
The purpose of this chapter is to promote installation of landscaping that enhances properties while promoting water conservation and the efficient use of water resources. This chapter establishes minimum landscape requirements to enhance the appearance of developments, reduce heat and glare, control soil erosion, enhance on-site stormwater management, conserve water, and ensure the ongoing maintenance of landscaped areas. ... The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all landscape projects installed in the county. ... Landscaping installed pursuant to this chapter shall comply with and be installed and maintained consistent with Title 23 Section 2.7 Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance of the California Code of Regulations, and California Green Building Standards Code Section 4.304.1.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
20's purpose section states the chapter promotes installation of landscaping that enhances properties while promoting water conservation and the efficient use of water resources, and sets minimum landscape requirements to reduce heat and glare, control soil erosion, manage on-site stormwater, conserve water, and keep landscaped areas maintained over time. 020 makes the chapter apply to all landscape projects installed in the county, not just new subdivisions. 1 of the California Green Building Standards Code, which governs irrigation system design and water-use efficiency. 22 applies, and any vegetation disturbed by construction activity must be replaced with native or drought-tolerant plantings.
The chapter does not set specific watering days, hours, or outdoor irrigation schedules; those restrictions, when imposed, come from the water purveyor serving a given parcel, not from the county's zoning code.
Violations & Fines
Landscape plans that cannot demonstrate compliance with the state's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and CALGreen Section 4.304.1 do not receive the zoning approvals needed to move a project forward, and installed landscaping that departs from Chapter 17.20's standards, including the native/drought-tolerant replanting requirement for construction-disturbed areas, is enforceable as a Title 17 zoning violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Calaveras County set specific watering days for lawns and gardens?
What kinds of projects have to follow the water-efficient landscaping rule?
What must a landscape plan comply with to be approved?
Do areas disturbed by construction need special landscaping afterward?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
How Calaveras County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Calaveras County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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