California is in the midst of one of the worst droughts in history and the governor is making sure that residents are taking it seriously by imposing mandatory water restrictions.
NBC News noted that on Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown spoke about the miserable and unrelenting drought, which is now in its fourth year.
"Today we are standing on dry grass where there should be five feet of snow," Brown said. "This historic drought demands unprecedented action. Therefore, I'm issuing an executive order mandating substantial water reductions across our state. As Californians, we must pull together and save water in every way possible."
The Los Angeles Times reported that the restrictions will be implemented by the California Water Resources Control Board. The hope is that the state can save 1.5 million acre-feet of water (an acre-foot of water equals around 325,000 gallons) over the next nine months by reducing 25 percent of usage.
Brown’s order comes as Sierra Nevada’s snowpack, which California relies heavily on for its water needs, is near an all-time low.
Tougher restrictions are expected in the coming months if the conservation efforts are not met.