(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(1) The use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf is wasteful and incompatible with state policy relating to climate change, water conservation, and reduced reliance on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem.

Terms Used In California Water Code 110

  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Water Code 18

(2) The Governor reported in August 2022 that climate change will bring significant enduring reductions in California’s water supply and that the state must take steps to respond to this reality.

(3) The State of Nevada enacted AB 356 in 2021 to prohibit the use of Colorado River water to irrigate nonfunctional turf on all properties except single-family residences by January 1, 2027.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the irrigation of grasses for agricultural production shall not be limited by requirements to eliminate the use of potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf.

(c) The Legislature hereby directs all appropriate state agencies to encourage and support the elimination of irrigation of nonfunctional turf with potable water.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 849, Sec. 1. (AB 1572) Effective January 1, 2024.)