El Paso County, CO Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- land on County Noxious Weed Map
- Governing plan
- El Paso County Noxious Weed Management Plan
- State law
- Colorado Noxious Weed Act, C.R.S. § 35-5.5-101
- Requirement
- weed management plan before plat recording
Summary
El Paso County requires a noxious weed management plan for any development application on land flagged on the county's Noxious Weed Map, implementing the Colorado Noxious Weeds Act during plat and permit review.
Noxious weed management shall be undertaken in association with a development application and permit when noxious weeds are identified on the Noxious Weed Map or by the Forestry and Noxious Weed Manager as being located on the subject property. Noxious weeds shall be addressed through the preparation of a noxious weed management plan.
(2) Early Consultation with ESD. The ESD should be consulted prior to submittal of a development application. The ESD input should be reflected in the design of the project.
(3) Site Control Measures. Topsoil stockpiles shall be managed and disturbance should be minimized to control noxious weeds.
(4) Limit of Noxious Weed Management Plan or Action. A noxious weed management plan or any action taken under this Section to control noxious weeds does not limit the County's authority to take appropriate action under the weed control acts.
(5) Implementation of Approved Plan.
(a) Recording of Plan. Implementation of the noxious weed management plan shall be accomplished by the recording of the development guide (in the case of a PUD) or the final plat and related documents (in the case of a subdivision that incorporate the recommendations of the plan.
(b) Plat Notes Required. Notice of any noxious weed issues may be required by the County through conditions of approval or notes placed on the face of the final plat.
(c)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Development Code: Supplement 3 | Drainage Criteria Manual: Publication | Engineering Criteria Manual: Supplement 3 | Ordinances: Reformat).
Full Breakdown
El Paso County requires a noxious weed management plan whenever a development application touches land shown on the County's Noxious Weed Map or flagged by the Forestry and Noxious Weed Manager. Approval implements the El Paso County Noxious Weed Management Plan and the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, and plat notes or conditions of approval can require mitigation before the plat records.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance can block final plat recording or permit approval, and a weed management plan does not limit the County's separate authority to enforce under state and county weed-control acts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every property in El Paso County need a noxious weed plan?
What law defines the target weeds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso County
How El Paso County compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare El Paso County to another location·View the Colorado landscaping rules overview
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