Nevada County, CA Landscaping Rules: Water Restrictions (2026)
Water restrictions in Nevada 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
- Countywide Schedule
- None set by the County
- State Rule
- No watering within 48 hrs of rain (SWRCB)
- Runoff/Hosing
- Prohibited statewide
- AB 1572
- Phases out potable water on ornamental turf
- Local Retailer
- Nevada Irrigation District / CSDs
- Typical Fine
- Up to $500 (state water-waste)
Summary
Nevada County government does not run a single countywide outdoor-watering schedule. Outdoor water use in unincorporated areas is governed by California's permanent water-waste prohibitions (SWRCB / AB 1572) and by the rules of the local retail supplier, most often the Nevada Irrigation District, which sets day/time watering limits during droughts.
Residential projects with an aggregate landscape area equal to or greater than 500 square feet shall comply with either a local water efficient landscape ordinance or the current California Department of Water Resources' Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO), whichever is more stringent. Automatic irrigation system controllers installed at time of final inspection shall have weather or soil based controllers and/or weather based controllers with rain sensors. Soil moisture based controllers are not required to have rain sensor input. (CGBSC 4.304)
Full Breakdown
There is no Nevada County ordinance imposing a county-wide lawn-watering calendar. Two layers control outdoor water use in unincorporated areas. First, California state law: the State Water Resources Control Board's permanent water-waste prohibitions ban wasteful practices statewide regardless of drought stage - including applying potable water to outdoor landscapes 'during and within 48 hours after measurable rainfall,' allowing runoff onto pavement, and hosing down hardscape with potable water. These apply to all water users and can be enforced with fines (commonly up to $500). AB 1572 (2023) further phases out the use of potable water to irrigate purely ornamental (non-functional) turf at commercial, industrial, and institutional sites.
Second, the local water purveyor: most unincorporated parcels are served by the Nevada Irrigation District or a community service district, which adopts its own water-shortage stages with specific watering days and hours. Because the County itself is not the water retailer, residents should check current restrictions with their supplier rather than the County. The County does regulate water-efficient landscaping for new development through its Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (see water-restrictions' companion topics), but day-to-day watering limits come from the state and the district.
Violations & Fines
State water-waste prohibitions are enforced by the SWRCB and local agencies, with fines reported up to $500 for violations such as watering within 48 hours of rain. Local watering-schedule violations are enforced by the serving water district under its own rate/rule schedule and can lead to penalties or flow restriction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nevada County set the days I can water my lawn?
Is there a statewide rule about watering after it rains?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nevada County
How Nevada County compares: Cities with the Strictest Water Restrictions·California rules heatmap·Compare Nevada County to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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