19.22.030 Definitions.

The terms used in this chapter have the meaning set forth below:

"Applied water'' means the portion of water supplied by the irrigation system to the landscape.

"Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines" means the most recent version of the guidelines developed by StopWaste.Org for use in the professional design, construction and maintenance of landscapes.

"City" means the city of American Canyon and its representatives.

"Conceptual landscape plan" means a preliminary landscape plan submitted to the city for review with a discretionary application.

"Conversion factor (0.62)" means the number that converts acre-inches per acre per year to gallons per square foot per year.

"Drip irrigation" means any non-spray low volume irrigation system utilizing emission devices with a flow rate measured in gallons per hour. Low volume irrigation systems are specifically designed to apply small volumes of water slowly at or near the root zone of plants.

"Ecological restoration project" means a project where the site is intentionally altered to establish a defined, indigenous, historic ecosystem.

"Estimated total water use (ETWU)" means the total water used for the landscape as described in Section 492.4.

"ET adjustment factor (ETAF)" means a factor of 0.7, that, when applied to reference evapotranspiration, adjusts for plant factors and irrigation efficiency, two major influences upon the amount of water that needs to be applied to the landscape.

"Evapotranspiration rate" means the quantity of water evaporated from adjacent soil and other surfaces and transpired by plants during a specified time.

"Final landscape plan" means a landscape plan submitted to the city for review and issuance of building permits and contains the same elements as the conceptual landscape plan.

"Flow rate" means the rate at which water flows through pipes, valves and emission devices, measured in gallons per minute, gallons per hour, or cubic feet per second.

"Hardscapes" means any durable material (pervious and non-pervious).

"Homeowner-provided landscaping" means any landscaping either installed by a private individual for a single-family residence or installed by a licensed contractor hired by a homeowner. A homeowner, for purposes of this chapter, is a person who occupies the dwelling he or she owns. This excludes speculative homes, which are not owner-occupied dwellings.

"Hydrozone" means a portion of the landscaped area having plants with similar water needs. A hydrozone may be irrigated or non-irrigated.

"Infiltration rate" means the rate of water entry into the soil expressed as a depth of water per unit of time (e.g., inches per hour).

"Invasive plant species" means species of plants not historically found in California that spread outside cultivated areas and can damage environmental or economic resources.

"Landscape architect" means a person who holds a license to practice landscape architecture in the state of California Business and Professions Code Section 5615.

"Landscape area" means all the planting areas, turf areas, and water features in a landscape design plan subject to the maximum applied water allowance calculation. The landscape area does not include footprints of buildings or structures, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, decks, patios, gravel or stone walks, other pervious or non-pervious hardscapes, and other non-irrigated areas designated for non­development (e.g., open spaces and existing native vegetation).

"Landscape contractor" means a person licensed by the state of California to construct, maintain, repair, install, or subcontract the development of landscape systems.

"Landscape documentation package" means the documents required under Section 16.14.050.

"Landscape project" means total area of landscape in a project as defined in "landscape area" for the purposes of this chapter, meeting requirements under Section 19.22.020.

"Lawn" means an area of short, mown grass in a yard, garden, or park.

"Maximum applied water allowance (MAWA)" means the upper limit of annual applied water for the established landscaped area as specified in Section 19.22.060. It is based upon the area's reference evapotranspiration, the ET adjustment factor, and the size of the landscape area.

"Mulch" means any organic material such as leaves, bark, arbor or wood chips, recycled wood waste, straw, compost, or inorganic mineral materials such as rocks, gravel, and decomposed granite left loose and applied to the soil surface for the beneficial purposes of reducing evaporation, suppressing weeds, moderating soil temperature, and preventing soil erosion.

"Native species" means plants from the local microclimate or Northern California species.

"New construction" means, for the purposes of this chapter, a new building with a landscape or other new landscape, such as a park, playground, or greenbelt without an associated building.

"Permit" means an authorizing document issued by local agencies for new construction or rehabilitated landscapes.

"Pervious" means any surface or material that allows the passage of water through the material and into the underlying soil.

"Plant factor" or "plant water use factor" is a factor that, when multiplied by ETo, estimates the amount of water needed by plants.

"Project applicant" means the individual or entity submitting a landscape documentation package required under Section 19.22.050, to request a permit, plan check, or design permit from the city. A project applicant may be the property owner or designee.

"Record drawing" or "as-builts" means a set of reproducible drawings which show significant changes in the work made during construction and which are usually based on drawings marked up in the field and other data furnished by the contractor.

"Recreational area" means publicly owned or publicly accessible areas dedicated to active play such as parks, sports fields, and golf courses where turf provides a playing surface.

"Recycled water," "reclaimed water," or "treated sewage effluent water" means treated or recycled waste water of a quality suitable for non-potable uses such as landscape irrigation and water features. This water is not intended for human consumption.

"Reference evapotranspiration" or "ETo" means a standard measurement of environmental parameters which affect the water use of plants. ETo is expressed in inches per day, month, or year as represented in Section 19.22.060, and is an estimate of the evapotranspiration of a large field of four- to seven-inch tall, cool-season grass that is well watered. Reference evapotranspiration is used as the basis of determining the maximum applied water allowance so that regional differences in climate can be accommodated.

"Rehabilitated landscape" means any re-landscaping project that requires a permit, plan check, or design permit, meets the requirements of Section 19.22.020, and the modified landscape area is equal to or greater than two thousand five hundred square feet, is fifty percent of the total landscape area, and the modifications are completed within one year.

"Runoff' means water which is not absorbed by the soil or landscape to which it is applied and flows from the landscape area. For example, runoff may result from water that is applied at too great a rate (application rate exceeds infiltration rate) or when there is a slope.

"Special landscape area (SLA)" means an area of the landscape dedicated solely to edible plants, areas irrigated with recycled water, water features using recycled water and areas dedicated to active play such as parks, sports fields, golf courses, and where turf provides a playing surface.

"Turf" means a species of grass that was developed to be used as a lawn together with the surface layer of earth held together by its roots.

"Water feature" means a design element where open water performs an aesthetic or recreational function. Water features include ponds, lakes, waterfalls, fountains, artificial streams, spas, and swimming pools (where water is artificially supplied).

"WUCOLS" means the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species published by the University of California Cooperative Extension, the Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation, 2100.