Lake Elsinore, CA Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Overhead utility clearance
- 10 lateral feet minimum
- Underground utility clearance
- 5 lateral feet minimum
- Species source
- City landscape guidelines list
- Oversight body
- City Tree Committee
- Off-list planting
- Needs Committee's written permission
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine
Summary
In the City of Lake Elsinore, street trees planted in the public right-of-way must come from the species list in the City's landscape guidelines and stay clear of utilities: no closer than 10 feet to an overhead wire and five feet to an underground water, sewer or transmission line, under LEMC Chapter 5.120's tree preservation rules enforced by the City Tree Committee.
The official street tree species list for the City of Lake Elsinore shall be the list identified in the landscape guidelines. No species other than those included in this list may be planted as street trees without written permission of the City Tree Committee. ... No street trees may be planted under or within 10 lateral feet of any overhead utility wire, or over or within five lateral feet of any underground water line, sewer line, transmission line or other utility.
Full Breakdown
Lake Elsinore's Tree Preservation ordinance, LEMC Chapter 5.120, created a City Tree Committee of the City Manager plus staff the Manager assigns from Public Works, Community Development, the City Park Supervisor and the Public Works Manager, and tasked it with an annually updated written plan for planting, pruning and removing trees in parks and the right-of-way under 5.120.030. Anyone planting a street tree, defined as any tree, shrub or woody vegetation within the City right-of-way between property lines, must choose from the official species list adopted in the City's landscape guidelines; planting any other species requires the Committee's written permission under 5.120.040.
The guidelines also govern spacing, distance from curbs and sidewalks, and distance from street corners under 5.120.050 through .070, while 5.120.080 sets the only numeric clearance the code itself prints: no street tree may go in under or within 10 lateral feet of an overhead utility wire, or over or within five lateral feet of an underground water line, sewer line, transmission line or other utility. The City reserves the right under 5.120.090 to plant, prune, maintain or remove trees and shrubs in parks and the right-of-way for public safety, and the Tree Committee can order removal of any tree that is unsafe or injurious to sewers, power lines, gas lines or other public improvements.
Violations & Fines
Planting a street tree from outside the approved species list, or within the 10-foot overhead or five-foot underground utility clearance, without the City Tree Committee's written permission violates Chapter 5.120 and, absent a chapter-specific fine, is enforceable under LEMC 1.16.010 as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, or as an infraction with escalating fines starting at $100 for repeat violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What trees can I plant as a street tree in Lake Elsinore?
How far from utility lines must a street tree be planted?
Who decides tree spacing and curb distance for street trees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake Elsinore
California rules heatmap·Compare Lake Elsinore to another location·View the California tree protection overview
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Parkway Planting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle parkway planting.