Governor Mandates Water Restrictions

"We’re in a historic drought and that demands unprecedented action," California Governor Jerry Brown said Wednesday.

Governor Brown signed an executive order mandating a reduction in the amount of water we use.

The governor is calling on residents to reduce water use by 25 percent.

This comes after a check of the state’s snow pack. And the numbers are alarming.

It’s the lowest snow pack ever recorded during the drought. And the lowest the state has seen in decades. That snow pack is the state’s source of water for the months to come.

Governor Jerry Brown would normally need snow shoes to walk on this section of the Sierra.

"One thing we know, we are standing on dry grass, and we should be standing in five feet of snow," Governor Brown said.

The Governor was with water officials when they announced there is no snow to measure at this key survey site.

"This is the first year in its measurements going back to 1942 where this snow course has been bare. No snow at all," according to Frank Gehrke, with the Department of Water Resources.

The snow pack supplies about a third of California’s water. It has plunged to an historic low.
And for the first time in California’s history the governor is imposing mandatory restrictions to reduce water use by 25-percent.

"Many of the things the governor is talking about now are things that we have implemented," said Mark Standriff with the City of Fresno.

Standriff says the city of Fresno has already cut it’s water use by 20 percent compared to this time last year.
The city will now look at not watering median’s in the streets. They’ve already cut back the amount of water used at parks, like Woodward Park where much of the grass is turning brown.

"I was expecting to see a little more green. But I can understand the amount of water it would take to keep this green. You can see that people aren’t holding back, they’re still enjoying it. So the city’s doing their part," said Mike Percy, a Madera resident.

Percy is considering taking out his own lawn to cut back on water use.

"It’s cost effective for me because I have water consumption and maintenance. And it’s the thing to do if you want to conserve water because grass is a pretty dependent thing," Percy said.

The new mandatory water restrictions require state and local water agencies to increase enforcement, replace 50-million square feet of lawn with drought tolerant landscaping, and create a rebate program for water efficient appliances.

The city of Fresno offers free water evaluations. Someone will come out to your home to check for leaks or help you program your sprinklers.
The number to call is 621-5480.