Tehama County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Tehama 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
- Tehama County Code Ch. 17.85
- Commercial threshold
- 2,500+ sq ft landscape area
- Owner-installed threshold
- 5,000+ sq ft residential
- Water waste
- Runoff/overspray prohibited outright
- Local ETO value
- 54.74 in./yr for MAWA calc
Summary
Tehama County bars runoff, overspray, and low-head drainage from any landscape irrigation system and sets water-budget design standards for new or rehabilitated landscaping over set size thresholds.
The county shall prevent water waste resulting from inefficient landscape irrigation by prohibiting runoff, low head drainage, overspray, or other similar conditions where water flows onto adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walks, roadways, or structures. Penalties for violation of these prohibitions shall be established locally.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 17.85, the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, applies to new or rehabilitated landscapes in unincorporated Tehama County: commercial and industrial projects with 2,500+ square feet of landscaping, developer-installed residential landscaping of 2,500+ square feet, and owner-installed residential landscaping of 5,000+ square feet, each triggered by a building permit, plan check, or design review. Covered projects must submit a landscape documentation package sized to a maximum applied water allowance formula. Separately, the county bars water waste from any established landscape's irrigation, runoff, overspray, and low-head drainage onto adjacent property, walks, or structures are prohibited outright.
Violations & Fines
Runoff, overspray, or low-head drainage from landscape irrigation, or skipping the required landscape documentation package on a qualifying project, violates Chapter 17.85; penalties are set locally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Tehama County set fixed watering days?
Does this apply to an ordinary single-family yard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tehama County
How Tehama County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Tehama County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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