Emergency Ideas: California governor orders all cities to cut water use by 25 percent in first-ever mandatory restriction, as state's drought worsens

California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered state officials to impose mandatory water restrictions for the first time in history on Wednesday, as the state continues to grapple with a serious drought.

Brown said Wednesday that he had signed an executive order requiring the State Water Resources Control Board to implement measures in cities and towns to cut water usage by 25 percent compared with 2013 levels.

California has been in a drought for four years.

'We're in a historic drought and that demands unprecedented action,' Brown at a news conference held at Echo Summit in the Sierra Nevada. 'We have to pull together and save water in every way we can.'

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Changes: California Gov. Jerry Brown, speaking at the podium, ordered state officials to impose mandatory water restrictions for the first time in history on Wednesday

Test: Frank Gehrke, left, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program for the Department of Water Resources, points to a mark on the snow pack measuring pole that was the lowest previous snow pack level as Gov. Brown, center, and Mark Cowin, director of the Department of Water Resources, right, look on

State water officials found no snow on the ground at the site for their manual survey of the snowpack.

Brown's order will require campuses, golf courses, cemeteries and other large landscapes to significantly cut water use; direct local governments to replace 50 million square feet of lawns throughout the state with drought-tolerant landscaping; and create a temporary rebate program for consumers who replace old water-sucking appliances with more efficient ones.

The move will affect residents, businesses, farmers and other users.

CBS News quoted Brown as saying 'People should realize we're in a new era. The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day, that's going to be a thing of the past.

'We're not going to change everything overnight but we are in a transition period. People have to realize that in many parts of California, they are living in a desert.'

The order calls on local water agencies to implement tiered water pricing that charges higher rates as more water is used and requires agricultural users to report more water use information to state regulators.

Brown's office said that would boost the state's ability to enforce laws against illegal water diversions and water waste.

The order also prohibits new homes and developments from using drinkable water for irrigation if the structures lack water-efficient drip systems. In addition, the watering of decorative grasses on public street medians is banned.

The snowpack has been in decline all year, with electronic measurements in March showing the statewide snow water equivalent at 19 percent of the historical average for that date.

Resources: Snow supplies about a third of the state's water. A higher snowpack translates to more water in California reservoirs to meet demand in summer and fall (January 2015 file photo)

Snow supplies about a third of the state's water. A higher snowpack translates to more water in California reservoirs to meet demand in summer and fall.

There was no snow at the site of Wednesday's survey near Echo Summit, about 90 miles east of Sacramento.

'It is such an unprecedented lack of snow, it is way, way below records,' said Frank Gehrke, chief of snow surveys for the California Department of Water Resources.

Officials say the snowpack is far below the historic lows of 1977 and 2014, when it was 25 percent of normal on April 1 - the time when the snowpack is generally at its peak.

Brown previously declared a drought emergency in January 2014 and stressed the need for sustained water conservation.

'I've declared this emergency and I’m calling all Californians to conserve water in every way possible,' he said in statement at the time.

But he has come under increasing pressure to be more aggressive as the state enters its fourth year of drought.

Per CBS News, Brown said Wednesday 'We are embarking on an experiment that no one has ever tried, ever, in the history of mankind. And that is 38 million people with 32 million vehicles living at the level of comfort that we all strive to attain.'

California issues water restrictions to combat drought