Lassen County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)

Lassen County government has not adopted a county-specific outdoor watering schedule for the unincorporated area; outdoor water rules there come from state law and the local retail water purveyor. The California State Water Resources Control Board has permanent water-waste prohibitions (the final regulation was adopted July 3, 2024 and took effect January 1, 2025) that apply statewide regardless of drought: no using potable water to wash sidewalks, driveways, and other hard surfaces; no irrigation runoff onto streets, sidewalks, or adjacent property; no watering of ornamental turf during or within 48 hours after at least a quarter inch of measurable rainfall; using a hose with a shut-off nozzle for car washing; and recirculating systems for decorative fountains. Day-of-week or drought-stage schedules, if any, are set by the water district or mutual water company serving each property. For new construction, California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) - which every local agency must adopt or match with an equally effective local ordinance - applies to permitted landscape projects through CalGreen, capping turf, requiring efficient irrigation, and requiring a landscape documentation package for qualifying new and rehabilitated landscapes. Lassen is a semi-arid, drought-prone county, so conservation rules from suppliers can tighten during dry years.