This mailer has been provided as an avenue to disperse information pertinent to public agencies and the landscape architecture profession, in hopes of fostering greater understanding and collaboration. Topics address issues that affect the built environment within which we live.

MODEL WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE

"When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water." Benjamin Franklin.

Water has long been a topic of discussions in the West. As some things do not change much, irrigating our California landscapes is currently a topic of much discussion. In the early 1990's the State of California adopted the "Water Conservation in Landscaping Act" which resulted in the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. As water demands have increased, the State has revisited this ordinance and is proposing updates to it. These updates are scheduled for adoption by January 1, 2009.

The intent of these ordinance updates is to guide local agencies in their efforts to use water efficiently, develop mechanisms to enforce the ordinance, educate users and promote economic incentives for water use efficiency.

There have been several public hearings regarding the proposed changes this year and these ordinance updates are nearing completion. Many of the same water conservation principles are the same, however, there are a few significant changes to be aware of:

The next time you need a Landscape Architect on your project, consider O'Dell Engineering's Landscape Architecture Department.

Services include:

• Park and Playground Design
• Recreational Facility Design
• Site Planning
• Streetscape Design
• Urban Design
• Commercial Design
• Model / Production Homes
• 3-D Visualizations
• Graphic Design
• Arboriculture Consulting

• All local agencies, cities and counties will be required to adopt an ordinance at least as effective as the state ordinance or adopt the state ordinance by January 1, 2010.
• All new and refurbished landscape projects will be required to submit a more detailed landscape documentation package with stricter water efficiency criteria.
• All new and refurbished landscape projects must have irrigation systems run with weather, soil moisture, or self adjusting controllers such as ETwater's web based smart controller.
• Existing landscapes will be required to follow a stricter irrigation audit program.
• Irrigation of turf grasses in small areas and near hard surfaces will be limited to drip or subsurface irrigation.

For more information on the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance click Here.

This informational article provided by O'Dell Engineering - 1165 Scenic Drive, Suite A, Modesto CA 95350