California Gov. Jerry Brown's historic April 1 drought order required regulators to revise the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance to increase water efficiency and limit the areas that can be covered in turf.
Under the revised ordinance, grass would be all but banned in landscapes of new commercial, industrial and institutional buildings and could consume only about 25 percent of a homeowner's combined front, back and sideyards.
The changes would apply to new construction with landscape areas larger than 500 square feet and also to existing landscapes larger than 2,500 square feet that undergo complex renovations. Exemptions are included for recreational areas, and landscapes irrigated with recycled water.
In a comment letter, Larry Rohlfes, an official at the California Landscape Contractors Assn., said his group was "concerned that the Model Ordinance may be evolving into an overly strict and complicated document that is becoming dauntingly difficult to understand, comply with, and enforce."
The water-use reduction requirements "make us nervous," he wrote. "We can't help but wonder if the drought is being used to make permanent changes in what California's landscapes will look like."
But Tracy Quinn, a policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, called the proposed water allocations for landscapes sufficient and effective.
"As more drought-tolerant native plants become available in the nurseries and home improvement stores throughout the state, we could definitely push further … so that we eliminate high-demand plants in our landscape altogether," Quinn said.
Read the rest of Matt Stevens' article from the LA Times here.