Water and Landscape Conservation

The City of Bozeman encourages good stewardship of natural resources. Water is one of our most precious resources in the arid west. Information about water conservation is increasingly available.

Natural Resource Conservation Service – Native Plants for Montana
Natural Resources Conservation Service - Urban Conservation and Low Impact Development, brochure set on sustainable development

US EPA brochure - Water-Efficient Landscaping: Preventing Pollution & Using Resources Wisely
US EPA brochure - Greenscaping your Lawn and Garden
US EPA – Low Impact Development Manual

The City of Bozeman has requirements for landscaping as part of its development regulations. Chapter 18.48, BMC is the chapter which establishes these standards. As part of these standards the City recognizes the desirable nature of landscaping that is efficient in its use of water. The City encourages the use of species of plants and good management practices that conserve water.

Most landscaping requirements contained in the development regulations do not apply to individual homes. There are three important sections for individual homes which are: Section 38.26.050.A, which establishes a requirement for landscaping of required yards, and Section 38.26.050.E, which applies to the boulevard strip between sidewalks and the street. The final important section is Section 38.42.1530 which defines landscaping and reads as follows.

"38.42.1530 LANDSCAPING

 At least 75 percent coverage of an area with natural grass, vegetative groundcover or other natural living plant materials, the remainder of which is covered with nonvegatative decorative landscape design elements such as washed rock, lava rock, bark chips and ornamental features such as pools, fountains, benches, etc. For purposes of this title, the term landscaping shall be considered to have the same meaning as the terms landscape, landscaped and landscaped area."

It is important to note that no portion of the definition requires any particular species. The use of 100% native and/or drought tolerant plants to meet the standard is both acceptable and encouraged. These plants can be shrubs, groundcovers, flowers, and yes, grasses. A wide array of options exists for the landowner to utilize. The key elements are careful thought and planning, coupled with careful installation and responsible maintenance. The Gallatin Valley is a comparatively lush and well vegetated environment in its native state. Careful landscaping can retain that rich vegetative heritage without being wasteful of resources.

A term often used to describe water efficient landscaping is "xeriscape". This term was created by the Denver Water Department in 1981 and is defined as "quality landscaping that conserves water and protects the landscape." Xeriscaping is a holistic look at the landscaping of a site and not merely pouring stones over all of the surface. The EPA has provided a short brochure titled "Water-Efficient Landscaping: Preventing Pollution & Using Resources Wisely" which gives a good introduction to the principles of xeriscaping and provides examples of its use. The brochure also provides contact information and a bibliography of publications on resource efficient landscaping. A second brochure, "Greenscaping your Lawn and Garden", provides additional information. The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA has also developed a web site on urban conservation and low impact development . There are some volumes available on the subject in the Bozeman Public Library as well. A listing of native species of trees, shrubs, grasses, and other plants is available in the Department of Planning and Community Development library.

A required yard only occupies a portion of a property. Dimensions vary depending on the zoning district the yard is in. The figure linked below illustrates the concept. Following are several examples of compliant yard and boulevard landscaping from around Bozeman that use non-turf landscaping.

What is a required yard? Definition  Image

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