A landscape documentation package shall be prepared following approval of the land use entitlement application by the review authority and shall be comprised of the following elements, each as further described below: a Water Efficient Worksheet, a Landscape Design Plan, an Irrigation Design Plan, a Grading Design Plan, and a Soil Management Report.
A. Water Efficient Landscape Worksheet.
1. A water efficient landscape worksheet contains information on the plant factor, irrigation method, irrigation efficiency, and area associated with each hydrozone. Calculations are then made to show that the evapotranspiration adjustment factor (ETAF) for the landscape project does not exceed a factor of 0.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for non- residential areas, exclusive of Special Landscape Areas. The ETAF for a landscape project is based on the plant factors and irrigation methods selected. The Maximum Applied Water Allowance is calculated based on the maximum ETAF allowed (0.55 for residential areas and 0.45 for non-residential areas) and expressed as annual gallons required. The Estimated Total Water Use (ETWU) is calculated based on the plants used and irrigation method selected for the landscape design. ETWU must be below the MAWA.
2. A project's water budget calculations shall adhere to the following requirements:
a. The plant factor used shall be from WUCOLS or from horticultural researchers with academic institutions or professional associations as approved by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The plant factor ranges from 0 to 0.1 for very low water using plants, 0.1 to 0.3 for low water use plants, from 0.4 to 0.6 for moderate water use plants, and from 0.7 to 1.0 for high water use plants.
b. All surface area of water features shall be included in the high water use hydrozone and temporarily irrigated areas shall be included in the low water use hydrozone.
c. All special landscape areas shall be identified and their water use calculated as described below.
d. ETAF for new and existing (non-rehabilitated) Special Landscape Areas shall not exceed 1.0.
B. Landscape Design Plan. Projects subject to these regulations shall comply with the following plant and irrigation requirements:
1. Plant and Materials Requirements. Consistent with the landscape standards established in Section 16.28.080, plant and material selections shall comply with the following;
a. The applicant shall choose and group plant species with similar water demands to facilitate efficient irrigation. Estimated total water use in the landscape area shall not exceed the maximum applied water allowance.
b. Methods to achieve water efficiency shall include one or more of the following:
1) Selection of water-conserving plant, tree and natural turf species, especially local native plants;
2) Selection of plants based on local climate suitability, disease and pest resistance;
3) Protection and preservation of native species and natural vegetation;
4) Selection of trees based on applicable tree ordinance or tree shading guidelines, and size at maturity as appropriate for the planting area;
5) Selection of plants from local and regional landscape program lists; and
6) Selection of plants from local Fuel Modification Plan Guidelines.
c. Each hydrozone shall have plant materials with similar water use, with the exception of hydrozones with plants of mixed water use as identified in section 16.060(C)(17)(c)(4) and (5).
d. Plants shall be selected and planted appropriately based upon their adaptability to the climatic, geologic, and topographical conditions of the project site. Methods to achieve water efficiency shall include on or more of the following:
1) Use the Sunset Western Climate Zone System, or approved equal, which takes into account temperature, humidity, elevation, terrain, latitude, and varying degrees of continental and marine influence on local climate;
2) Recognize the horticultural attributes of plants (i.e., mature plant size, invasive surface roots) to minimize damage to property or infrastructure (i.e., buildings, sidewalks, power lines), allow for adequate soil volume for healthy root growth; and
3) Consider the solar orientation for plant placement to maximize summer shade and winter solar gain.
e. High water use plants, characterized by a plant factor of 0.7 to 1.0, are prohibited in street medians.
f. Turf is not allowed on slopes greater that 25% where the toe of the slope is adjacent to an impermeable hardscape and where 25% means 1 foot of vertical elevation change for every 4 feet of horizontal length.
g. Natural turf areas shall be used in response to functional needs and in compliance with the approved project water budget.
h. Plant selection for projects in fire-prone areas shall address fire safety and prevention. A defensible space or zone around a building or structure is required per Public Resources Code sections 4291 (a) and (b). Fire-prone plant materials and highly flammable mulches shall be avoided. Refer to the local Fuel Modification Plan guidelines.
i. Invasive species of plants shall be avoided especially near parks, buffers, greenbelts, water bodies, and open spaces because of their potential to cause harm to environmentally sensitive areas.
j. Water quality management plan best management practices that affect the landscaping shall be identified on the detailed construction landscape plans (i.e., swales, permeable paving, sub-grade tanks).
2. Water Features.
a. Decorative water features shall use recirculating water systems.
b. Where available, recycled water shall be used as the source for irrigation and decorative water features.
3. Soil Preparation.
a. Prior to planting of any materials, compacted soils shall be transformed to a friable condition to maximize water retention and infiltration. On engineered slopes, only amended planting holes need meet this condition.
b. Soil amendments such as compost shall be provided to improve water holding capacity of soil where soil conditions warrant. No sewage sludge shall be allowed. All fertilizers and soil amendments shall consist of organic materials.
c. Soil amendments shall be incorporated according to recommendations of the soil report and what is appropriate for the plants selected.
d. All exposed surfaces of non-turf areas within the developed landscape area shall be mulched with a minimum four- (4) inch layer of material except in areas with groundcover planted from flats. In this instance, the mulch depth shall be a minimum of three (3) inches of approved material. To provide habitat for beneficial insects and other wildlife, up to 5% of the landscape area may be left without mulch. Designated insect habitat must be included in the landscape design plan as such.
e. Stabilizing mulching products shall be used on slopes that meet current engineering standards.
f. For landscape installation, compost at a rate of a minimum of four cubic yards per 1,000 square feet of permeable area shall be incorporated to a depth of six inches into the soil. Soils with a greater than 6% organic matter in the top 6 inches of soil are exempt from adding compost and tilling.
g. Organic mulch materials made from recycled or post-consumer shall take precedence over inorganic materials or virgin forest products unless the recycled post-consumer organic products are not locally available. Organic mulches are not required where prohibited by local Fuel Modification Plan Guidelines or other applicable local ordinances.
4. Minimum Design Plan Detail. The landscape design plan shall be prepared by a licensed landscape architect (homeowner provided landscaping projects may also use any other person authorized to design a landscape in accordance with State law) using water budget calculations described in Section 16.28.060A 2, and, at a minimum, shall:
a. Delineate and label each hydrozone by number, letter, or other method; identify each hydrozone as low, moderate, high water, or mixed water use. Temporarily irrigated areas of the landscape shall be included in the low water use hydrozone for the water budget calculation;
b. Identify recreational areas;
c. Identify areas permanently and solely dedicated to edible plants;
d. Identify areas irrigated with recycled water;
e. Identify type of mulch and application depth;
f. Identify soil amendments, type, and quantity;
g. Identify type and surface area of water features;
h. Identify hardscapes (pervious and non-pervious);
i. Identify location of any applicable stormwater best management practices that encourage on-site retention and infiltration of stormwater. Stormwater best management practices are encouraged in the landscape design plan and examples included, but are not limited to:
1) Grade impervious surfaces, such as driveways, during construction to drain to vegetated areas.
2) Minimize the area of impervious surfaces such as paved areas, roof and concrete driveways.
3) Incorporate pervious or porous surfaces (e.g., gravel, permeable pavers or blocks, pervious or porous concrete) that minimize runoff.
4) Direct runoff from paved surfaces and roof areas into planting beds or landscaped areas to maximize site water capture and reuse.
5) Incorporate rain gardens, cisterns, and other rain harvesting or catchment systems.
6) Incorporate infiltration beds, swales, basins and drywells to capture storm water and dry weather runoff and increase percolation into the soil.
7) Consider constructed wetlands and ponds that retain water, equalize excess flow, and filter pollutants.
8) Vegetation utilized in and around detention basins in projects within Compatibility Zones B through E of French Valley Airport Influence Area (AIA) shall not include landscaping that would provide food or cover for bird species that would be incompatible with airport operations. Additionally, landscaping in projects that are located within Compatibility Zones B and C, shall provide sufficient separation between trees to avoid the creation of a continuous canopy, and landscaping in and around a detention basins shall not include vegetation that produces seeds, fruits, or berries.
j . Identify any applicable rain harvesting or catchment technologies as discussed in Section 16.060(B)(4)(i);
k. Identify any applicable graywater discharge piping, system components and areas(s) of distribution; and
l. Contain the following certification from the landscape architect: "I have complied with the criteria established in Chapter 16.28 of the Murrieta Municipal Code and applied them for the efficient use of water in the landscape design plan.
C. Irrigation Design Plan. The irrigation design plan shall be prepared and signed by a licensed landscape architect, certified irrigation designer, licensed landscape contractor, or any other person authorized to design an irrigation system in accordance with state law and shall include system design and hydrozones that are consistent with planting plan requirements that outline a project's equivalent water demand and irrigation efficiency.
1 Irrigation systems shall be designed, maintained, and managed to meet or exceed an average irrigation efficiency of 0.75 for overhead spray devices and 0.81 for drip system devices.
2. All irrigation systems shall be designed to prevent runoff, over-spray, low-head drainage and other similar conditions where water flows off-site on to adjacent property, non-irrigated areas, walk, roadways, or structures. Irrigation systems shall be designed, constructed, managed, and maintained to achieve as high an overall efficiency as possible. The irrigation system shall be designed to ensure that the dynamic pressure at each emission device is within the manufacturer's recommended pressure range for optimal performance.
3. Landscaped areas shall be required to provide automatic irrigation controllers, utilizing either evapotranspiration or soil moisture sensor data utilizing non-volatile memory which automatically adjusts the frequency and/or duration of irrigation events in response to changing weather conditions for irrigation scheduling in all irrigation systems unless the use of the property would otherwise prohibit use of a timer. The planting areas shall be grouped in relation to moisture-control zones based on similarity of water requirements (i.e., turf separate from shrub and groundcover, full sun exposure areas separate from shade areas, top of slope separate from toe of slope). Additional water conservation technology may be required, where necessary, at the discretion of the Community Development Director, or designee.
4. Water systems for common open space areas shall use non-potable water, if approved facilities are made available by the water purveyor. Provisions for the conversion to a nonpotable water system shall be provided within the landscape plan. Water systems designed to utilize non-potable water shall be designed to meet all applicable standards of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Riverside County Health Department, and the water purveyor.
5. Separate valves shall be provided for separate water use planting areas, so that plants with similar water needs are irrigated by the same irrigation valve. All installations shall rely on highly efficient state-of-the-art irrigation systems to eliminate runoff, and maximize irrigation efficiency.
6. Static water pressure, dynamic or operating pressure and flow reading of the water supply shall be measured. These pressure and flow measurements shall be conducted at the design stage. If the measurements are not available at the design stage, the measurements shall be conducted at the installation.
7. The capacity of the irrigation system shall not exceed:
a. The capacity required for peak water demand based on water budget calculations;
b. Meter capacity; and
c. Backflow preventer type and device capacity.
8. Sprinkler heads and other emission devices shall have matched precipitation rates, unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer.
9. In mulched planting areas, the use of low-volume irrigation is required to maximize water infiltration into the root zone.
10. Non-turf areas shall be irrigated with drip irrigation.
11. Landscape areas including turf less than ten (10) feet in width in any direction shall be irrigated with subsurface irrigation or other means that produces no runoff or overspray.
12. Overhead irrigation shall not be permitted within twenty-four (24) inches of any nonpermeable surface, unless:
a. The landscape area is adjacent to permeable surfacing and no runoff to the public right-ofway or storm drain system occurs; or
b. The adjacent non-permeable surfaces are designed and constructed to drain entirely to landscaping area.
c. Allowable irrigation within the setback from non-permeable surfaces may include drip, drip line, or other low flow non-spray technology.
d. The irrigation designer specifies an alternative design or technology, as part of the Landscape Documentation Package and clearly demonstrates strict adherence to irrigation design plan in Section 16.28.060(C)(2). Prevention overspray and overspray and runoff must be confirmed during the irrigation audit.
13. Overhead irrigation shall be limited to the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
14. All irrigation systems shall be equipped with the following:
a. An automatic irrigation controller;
b. A rain sensing device to prevent irrigation during rainy weather;
c. Anti-drain valves or check valves installed at strategic points to minimize or prevent lowhead drainage;
d. A manual shut-off valve shall be required as close as possible to the point of connection of the water supply, to minimize water loss in case of an emergency or routine repair;
e. A pressure regulator when the static water pressure is above or below the recommended operating pressure of the irrigation system;
f. Backflow prevention devices;
g. Flow sensors that detect high flow conditions created by system damage or malfunction are required for all non-residential landscapes and residential landscape of 5,000 sq. ft. or larger;
h. Master shut-off valves are required on all projects except landscapes that make use of technologies that allow for the individual control of sprinklers that are individually pressurized in a system equipped with low pressure shut down features; and
i. All irrigation emission devices must meet the requirements set in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers/International Code Council (ASABE/ICC) 802-2014 "Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler and Emitter Standard". All sprinkler heads installed in the landscape must document a distribution uniformity low quarter of 0.65 or higher using the protocol defined in ASABE/ICC 802-2014.
15. Landscape water meters, defined as either a dedicated water service meter or private submeter shall be installed for all non-residential irrigated landscapes of 1,000 sq. ft. but not more than 5,000 sq.ft. and residential irrigated landscapes of 5,000 sq. ft. or greater.
16. Slopes greater than 25% shall not be irrigated with an application rate exceeding 0.75 inches per hour. This restriction may be modified if the landscape designer specifies an alternative design or technology, as part of the Landscape Documentation Package, and clearly demonstrates no runoff or erosion will occur. Prevention of runoff and erosion must be confirmed during the irrigation audit.
17. Irrigation design plans shall identify and site the following:
a. Hydrozones;
b. Each hydrozone shall be designated by number, letter, or other designation;
c. A hydrozone information table shall be prepared for each hydrozone;
1) Each valve shall irrigate a hydrozone with similar site, slope, sun exposure, soil conditions, and plant materials with similar water use.
2) Sprinkler heads and other emission devices shall be selected based on what is appropriate for the plant type within that hydrozone.
3) Where feasible, trees shall be place on separate valves from shrubs, groundcovers, and turf to facilitate the appropriate irrigation of trees. The mature size and extent of the root zone shall be considered when designing irrigation for the tree.
4) Individual hydrozones that mix plants of moderate and low water use, or moderate and high water use may be allowed if the plant factor calculation is based on the proportions of the respective plant water uses and their plant factor or if the plant factor of the higher water using plant is used for calculations.
5) Individual hydrozones that mix high and low water use plants shall not be permitted.
6) On the landscape design plan and irrigation design plan, hydrozone areas shall be designated by number, letter or other designation. On the irrigation design plan, designate the areas irrigated by each valve, and assign a number to each valve. Use this valve number in the hydrozone table included in the Landscape Documentation Packet. This table can also assist with the irrigation audit and programming the controller.
d. The areas irrigated by each valve;
e. Irrigation point of connection (POC) to the water system;
f. Static water pressure at POC;
g. Location and size of water meter(s), service laterals, and backflow preventers;
h. Location, size, and type of all components of the irrigation system, including automatic controllers, main and lateral lines, valves, sprinkler heads and nozzles, pressure regulator, drip and low volume irrigation equipment;
i. Total flow rate (gallons per minute), and design operating pressure (psi) for each overhead spray and bubbler circuit, and total flow rate (gallons per hour) and design operating pressure (psi) for each drip and low volume irrigation circuit;
j. Precipitation rate (inches per hour) for each overhead spray circuit;
k. Irrigation legend with the manufacturer name, model number, and general description for all specified equipment, separate symbols for all irrigation equipment with different spray patterns, spray radius, and precipitation rate;
l. Irrigation system details for assembly and installation;
m. Recommended irrigation schedule for each month, including number of irrigation days per week, number of start times (cycles) per day, minutes of run time per cycle, and estimated amount of applied irrigation water, expressed in gallons per month and gallons per year, for the established landscape; and
n. Irrigation design plans shall contain the following statement, "I agree to comply with the criteria contained in Chapter 16.28 of the Murrieta Municipal Code and to apply them for the efficient use of water in this irrigation design plan.
18. For each valve, two (2) irrigation schedules shall be prepared, one for the initial establishment period of six (6) months and one for the established landscape, which incorporate the specific water needs of the plants and turf throughout the calendar year.
D. Grading Design Plan. The grading design plan shall be drawn on base sheets, be fully dimensioned, and include information specified below.
1. Indicate finished configurations and elevations of the landscaped area, including the height of graded slopes, drainage patterns, pad elevations, and finish grade.
2. Include rough/precise grade elevations prepared in accordance with Chapter 15.52 (Grading, Erosion and Sediment Control) of the Murrieta Municipal Code for the project by a licensed civil engineer.
E. Soil Management Report. A soil management report shall be prepared based upon soils analysis and shall include recommendations for soil preparation for the project approved plant material, in accordance with the following:
1. Soils sampling and analysis shall be conducted by a certified soils analysis laboratory and in accordance with laboratory protocol, including protocols regarding adequate sampling depth for the intended plants.
2. The soils analysis shall include:
a. Soil texture;
b. Infiltration rate determined by laboratory test or soil texture infiltration rate table;
c. pH;
d. Total soluble salts;
e. Sodium;
f. Nutrients-macro;
g. Nutrients-micro;
h. Percent organic matter; and
i. Soil preparation recommendations.
3. In projects with multiple landscape installation (i.e. production home developments) a soil sampling rate of 1 in 7 lots or approximately 15% will satisfy this requirement. Large landscape project shall sample at a rate equivalent to 1 in 7 lots.
4. The soil management report shall be made available, in a timely manner, to the professionals preparing the landscape design plans and irrigation design plans to make any necessary adjustments to the design plans.
5. The applicant shall submit documentation verifying implementation of soil management report recommendations to the local agency with certificate of substantial completion.
F. Recycled Water.
1. The installation of recycled water irrigation systems shall allow for the current and future use of recycled water.
2. All recycled water irrigation systems shall be designed and operated in accordance with all applicable local and State laws.
3. Landscapes using recycled water are considered Special Landscape Areas. The ET adjustment Factor for new and existing (non-rehabilitated) Special Landscape Areas shall not exceed 1.0.
G. Graywater systems. Promote the efficient use of water and are encouraged to assist in on-site landscape irrigation. All graywater systems shall conform to the California Plumbing Code and any applicable local ordinances standards.
(Ord. 539 § 8, 2018; Ord. 443 §3, 2010; Ord. 293 § 1 (part), 2004; Ord. 182 § 2 (part), 1997)