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City introduces Waterwise Landscaping code project; staff seek board input on seven best practices
Summary
Planning staff introduced a year‑long effort to update Boulder’s landscaping code to reduce outdoor water use and implement compliance with a state law prohibiting nonfunctional turf. Staff outlined seven recommended practices, ranging from watering schedules and soil/mulch standards to higher-effort professional certification programs.
Planning and Development Services staff introduced a city project to update landscaping regulations for water conservation at the Jan. 27 Water Resources Advisory Board meeting, saying the work responds to both council priorities and a new state law.
Lisa Hood, principal city planner, said the effort will examine Boulder’s landscaping rules with a water‑conservation lens and produce draft code changes for public comment in 2025. The project will also implement requirements from a recently passed state measure, identified in the presentation as "Senate bill 24005," which the city says prohibits nonfunctional turf and applies to transportation corridors, commercial, industrial, institutional properties and common‑interest community common areas.
Hood and Chris Ricardello, the city’s principal landscape architect, reviewed a consultant study of best practices and presented seven recommended changes for consideration: 1) prohibit nonfunctional turf consistent with state law, 2) adopt fire‑wise or fire‑resistant planting guidance for wildland‑urban interface areas, 3) add soil amendment and mulch standards, 4) set restrictions on watering times, 5) require temporary irrigation allowances for plant establishment, 6) adopt a landscape water‑efficiency standard or site water‑budget for new developments, and 7) consider professional training and certification for landscape professionals submitting plans.
Hood said the consultant categorized the recommendations by likely effort and impact (foundational, water‑efficiency, ecosystem services) and noted some elements — such as soil amendment and mulch standards — are common practice in peer communities but not present in Boulder’s current code. She described the professional training/certification option as the highest‑effort but potentially high‑impact approach. "A lot of those communities that are doing kind of the most for water conservation in their codes also have professional training and certification requirements," Hood said.
Council, Hood said, expressed interest in pursuing the low‑ and medium‑effort measures first because of constrained city staffing and budget. Council also signaled openness to expanding the state nonfunctional‑turf prohibition to include multifamily properties, though the city will need to define multifamily thresholds (for example, duplex and above or fourplex and above) and consider impacts on other council housing priorities.
Board members asked for more outreach and practical tools for residents. Several members praised the idea of watering‑time restrictions, soil and mulch standards, and stronger outreach to contractors. Staff noted existing programs such as irrigation audits provided through Resource Central and said any code changes that increase plan review work would likely require additional permitting/plan‑review capacity in planning or utilities.
Next steps, Hood said, include developing a consolidated plant list, drafting ordinance language, targeted public engagement in early summer 2025, and returning a draft ordinance to the board before council consideration in the fall of 2025.
