Madera County HOA Guide
Yosemite Lakes Park HOA Guide: County Rules and Fire Safety
Yosemite Lakes Park is a community near Coarsegold in unincorporated Madera County, so County of Madera rules apply, not a city’s. Yosemite Spring Park Utility Company serves the area from deep wells inside the subdivision. A 2000 state Fish and Game agreement covered silt removal at man-made lakes in and around the subdivision.
This guide collects the County and state rules a Yosemite Lakes Park board runs into most often, and points you to the How2HOA guide that explains what to do about each one. Official public sources on the community itself are thin, so this page says where we could not confirm something.
Facts on this page were checked against the County of Madera’s website and Public Works budget documents, Yosemite Spring Park Utility Company’s 2022 water quality report, the state CEQA database, the State Fire Marshal and CAL FIRE on November 3, 2026. The Census Bureau’s QuickFacts page for the Yosemite Lakes census-designated place would not open for us, so this page gives no population figures. The County Code would not open either, so this page does not summarize County noise, parking or weed abatement rules. Confirm the current rule before you act on it. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
At a glance
HOAs in Yosemite Lakes Park at a glance
Yosemite Lakes Park has no city government. The County, a private water utility and the association itself each handle part of what a city would do:
We did not find Yosemite Lakes Park in the index of the County’s June 2024 special district budget memo, which lists the County service areas and maintenance districts that Public Works runs. Before you take on or hand off maintenance of a road, lake or other facility, confirm from your recorded maps and governing documents who owns it. The County enforces its ordinances, and your association enforces its own rules.
Local rules
Rules that apply in Yosemite Lakes Park
Three layers of rules apply to a Yosemite Lakes Park association. State law comes first, mainly the Davis-Stirling Act. County of Madera ordinances apply to every property in unincorporated Yosemite Lakes Park, whether or not it is in an HOA. Your governing documents can then be stricter than the County in most areas, and state law limits them in a few. The County does not enforce your CC&Rs, and your CC&Rs do not excuse anyone from a county rule.
Fire protection and defensible spaceCounty Fire runs under a contract with CAL FIRE. Check every common-area lot on the State Fire Marshal’s hazard maps.
The Madera County Fire Department serves the 2,153 square miles of unincorporated Madera County. The County says the department is administered, and its career staff provided, through a contract with CAL FIRE. It has 14 fire stations. Its fire prevention program includes fire code enforcement.
The State Fire Marshal’s fire hazard severity zone maps for State Responsibility Areas took effect April 1, 2024. Maps for Local Responsibility Areas were released in phases in February and March 2025. The zones are moderate, high and very high. We could not confirm the zone for Yosemite Lakes Park, or whether it is in a State or Local Responsibility Area. Because the zone affects what sellers must disclose, look up every lot the association owns in the State Fire Marshal’s map viewer, and keep a copy of the result in your records.
CAL FIRE’s defensible space guidance covers up to 100 feet around a building, in three zones. It says Zones 1 and 2 are required by law, and that local rules may be stricter:
When a home in a high or very high zone is sold, state law can require the seller to give the buyer documentation of defensible space compliance, or to sign an agreement for the buyer to get it, depending on whether the local agency has an inspection ordinance or offers inspections (Civil Code section 1102.19).
We could not find a County weed abatement or hazardous vegetation page, so this guide does not describe County inspection dates or abatement notices. Ask County Fire Prevention before fire season.
What to do about it: How to Minimize Homeowners Association Liability, and for coverage questions, Rising HOA Insurance Costs in California and the FAIR Plan. For what the association’s insurance has to cover, see California HOA insurance requirements.
Water supplyYosemite Spring Park Utility Company serves the area from deep hard-rock wells inside the subdivision.
Yosemite Spring Park Utility Company’s 2022 water quality report says 100% of its water comes from deep hard-rock wells, and that all of its wells are inside the Yosemite Lakes Park subdivision. It lists 12 wells. The report is posted on the California Public Utilities Commission’s website, and it gives the company’s office as 30250-B Yosemite Springs Parkway in Coarsegold.
We did not find a current watering schedule, conservation stage or rebate program for this system. Check the name on each common-area water bill to confirm who serves it, and ask the company about any watering limits before you set controllers.
A state law passed in 2023 (AB 1572) bars the use of drinking water on nonfunctional turf in HOA common areas starting January 1, 2029. On owners’ own lots, Civil Code section 4735 prevents an association from banning low-water plants or artificial turf.
What to do about it: put water costs and any landscape changes into Planning Your HOA Budget, and track irrigation and pump equipment in Understanding HOA Reserve Studies. For the California rules behind these projects, see California HOA maintenance and repair responsibilities and California HOA reserves.
Lakes and creek workA 2000 state Fish and Game agreement covered silt removal at lakes in and around the subdivision.
The state CEQA database records a 2000 agreement with the Department of Fish and Game, now the Department of Fish and Wildlife, for maintaining man-made lakes in and around the Yosemite Lakes subdivision. Agreement No. R4-2000-0137 covered:
- Golf Course Lake: removing silt at the north and south ends.
- Clubhouse Lake: removing silt at the north end and building a catch basin at the south end.
- Blackhawk Lake: removing silt where Coarsegold Creek enters, only below the 1,020-foot high-water mark.
That agreement is more than 25 years old. Before any new dredging, bank work or creek crossing repair, ask the Department of Fish and Wildlife whether you need a new agreement, and build that time into the schedule. Get the answer in writing before a contractor starts.
What to do about it: How to Hire a Contractor for Your Homeowners Association and Managing Outside Vendors for Your HOA.
Short-term rentalsThe County is still working on a short-term rental permit ordinance, and operators already need a business license and an occupancy tax certificate.
Yosemite Lakes Park is not a city, so County of Madera rules apply. When we checked, the County Planning Division’s page said Madera County currently has minimal regulations governing short-term vacation rentals. It listed revised drafts of a new ordinance dated May 7, 2025, July 23, 2025 and January 30, 2026. It did not show the ordinance as adopted.
One rule already applies. The County Treasurer-Tax Collector says anyone operating a short-term rental needs a business license and a transient occupancy tax certificate, with a separate application for each property. Operators must file a quarterly tax return even in a quarter with no rental income.
The draft ordinance posted on the County’s page would add these rules. They are proposals, not law, until the Board of Supervisors adopts them:
That last point matters to boards. If it is adopted as drafted, a County permit for a home in your community would depend on your association’s authorization, and your association would carry the enforcement. Decide your position before owners start asking. Separately, California Civil Code section 4741 does not stop an association from prohibiting rentals of 30 days or less.
What to do about it: How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community walks through writing and enforcing a rental rule. For longer leases, see Renting Out Your Home in a Homeowners Association. For the California rules, see our guide to buying, selling and renting in a California HOA.
ADUsThe County offers pre-approved ADU plans, and state law limits how far an association can restrict ADUs.
The County’s Building Division offers pre-approved ADU plans to owners in unincorporated areas, in four sizes: 375, 550, 775 and 908 square feet. Its ADU page also posts a how-to guide and the building permit application. We could not open the County Code’s ADU standards, so check sizes, setbacks and utility connections with the County before you rely on any answer.
Ask the County early about water and wastewater for a new unit, and check with your water provider if the lot is on its system.
Civil Code section 4751 makes void any rule in your governing documents that effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts building an ADU or junior ADU on a single-family lot. Reasonable rules, such as design standards, are still allowed. If owners can use a pre-approved County plan, make sure your architectural review process can handle the request quickly.
Read next: how architectural requests work and How to Rewrite HOA Governing Documents. For how architectural review works under California law, see California HOA architectural review and owner rights.
Trash and organicsTwo County franchise haulers split unincorporated Madera County at 1,000 feet of elevation, and SB 1383 rules apply from July 1, 2025.
Unincorporated Madera County has two exclusive franchise haulers, split by elevation. Red Rock Environmental Group serves the Valley Area, below 1,000 feet. Emadco Disposal serves the Mountain Area, above 1,000 feet. The County’s Waste Collection Service Look-up Tool shows which hauler serves an address.
Blackhawk Lake’s high-water mark is recorded at 1,020 feet, close to the 1,000-foot line the County uses to split the haulers. Check each address in the look-up tool rather than assuming.
The County says businesses and multifamily properties with five or more units must have an organic recycling program (AB 1826). Its SB 1383 page says all property owners in the County’s SB 1383 compliance area must comply starting July 1, 2025. Owners can subscribe to organics collection, self-haul food waste or manage it on site. Residential property owners do not qualify for waivers.
If you subscribe, you must use the hauler’s containers. Food scraps, yard waste and food-soiled paper go in the green container. Plastic bags and compostable plastics do not.
What to do about it: How to Enforce HOA Rules in Your Homeowners Association covers getting owners and tenants to follow a new rule.
Is this a lot for a volunteer board to track?
County rules, state law and your own documents all change, and someone has to keep up. If your Yosemite Lakes Park board is deciding between managing itself and hiring help, start with Self-Managed vs. Professional HOA Management, or tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsQuick answers
Questions Yosemite Lakes Park board members ask
Is Yosemite Lakes Park part of a city?
No. It is in unincorporated Madera County, so County of Madera rules and departments apply. Madera County Fire, which runs under a contract with CAL FIRE, provides fire service.
Who supplies our water?
Yosemite Spring Park Utility Company serves the area from wells inside the subdivision. Check the name on each common-area bill to confirm.
Are we in a high fire hazard zone?
We could not confirm it. Look up each address in the State Fire Marshal’s map viewer, and call its hazard zone line at (916) 633-7655 with questions.
Do we need a permit to dredge a lake?
A 2000 agreement with the state Department of Fish and Game covered silt removal at lakes in and around the subdivision. Ask the Department of Fish and Wildlife before any new lake or creek work.
Are short-term rentals allowed?
The County has only minimal rules today, and it is still working on a permit ordinance. Operators already need a County business license and a transient occupancy tax certificate. Under the draft, a home managed by an association would qualify for a permit only if the association authorizes it. Your association can also prohibit rentals of 30 days or less in its own documents. More in How to Handle Short-Term Rentals in Your Community.
Who picks up trash?
The County has two franchise haulers, split at 1,000 feet of elevation. Use the County’s Waste Collection Service Look-up Tool for each address.
Calendar
A Yosemite Lakes Park board’s year
The organics date comes from the County, the tax return timing from the Treasurer-Tax Collector and the defensible space item from CAL FIRE, which says Zones 1 and 2 are required by law. The other items are general good practice, not legal requirements.
Keep the year on track: use the Board Meeting Checklist and the Annual HOA Budget Checklist.
Who to call
Yosemite Lakes Park contacts for HOA boards
Yosemite Lakes Park has no city hall. County Community and Economic Development handles planning, building and code enforcement for unincorporated areas.
| Office | Phone | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Yosemite Spring Park Utility Company | (559) 517-3799 | Water service (number from its 2022 water quality report) |
| County Community and Economic Development | (559) 675-7821 | Planning, building permits, ADUs and code questions |
| Madera County Public Works | (559) 675-7811 | Solid waste and SB 1383 |
| Emadco Disposal | (559) 683-4680 | Trash service in the Mountain Area |
| Red Rock Environmental Group | (559) 665-7300 | Trash service in the Valley Area |
| Treasurer-Tax Collector | (559) 675-7713 | Reporting rentals that do not collect occupancy tax |
| State Fire Marshal hazard zone line | (916) 633-7655 | Questions about fire hazard severity zone maps |
Use the County’s Waste Collection Service Look-up Tool to see whether an address is served by Emadco or Red Rock.
Keep going
Where to go next on How2HOA
Sources for this guide
These sources open in a new tab.
County of Madera: short-term vacation rental ordinance; draft short-term rental ordinance; transient occupancy tax; pre-approved ADU plans; Community and Economic Development; Fire Department; solid waste management; SB 1383 questions; 2024-25 special district budgets; 2024-25 special district road budgets.
Water and lakes: Yosemite Spring Park Utility Company 2022 water quality report; CEQA record, Agreement No. R4-2000-0137, lake maintenance in the Yosemite Lakes subdivision.
Fire safety: State Fire Marshal fire hazard severity zones; CAL FIRE defensible space.
California law: Civil Code section 4741; section 4751; section 4735; section 1102.19; AB 1572 (2023).
Professional management
Thinking about management help?
Tell us about your community and we will send you options from affiliated management companies.
Compare HOA management optionsBrowse all HOA topicsThis page is general educational information, not legal, financial or insurance advice. County ordinances and state law change, and your association’s governing documents control many of these questions, so check the current code and talk with your association’s attorney or another qualified professional about your situation.