Spreadsheet For Landscapers

The California Department of Water Resources has posted new information on its website that should be helpful to landscape contractors who now must submit landscape documentation packages and certificates of completion to building departments for new landscapes in cities and counties that have adopted the state's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.

Perhaps the most useful of the new items is the Water Budget Notebook, an Excel spreadsheet that can calculate the maximum applied water allowance and the estimated total water use. Other helpful resources are the model ordinance itself, many of the new local ordinances, sample forms, the WUCOLS document (A Guide to Estimating Irrigation Water Needs of Landscape Plantings in California), real-time California Irrigation Management Irrigation System (CIMIS) data for every corner of the state, and homeowner-friendly ideas and tips for a water-efficient landscape. (www.water.ca.gov/wateruseefficiency/landscapeordinance/)