California Imposes Water Curbs Amid Drought

The California governor has imposed statewide mandatory water restrictions for the first time in the state's history in the face of a devastating drought.

Jerry Brown ordered cities and communities to reduce usage by 25% compared to 2013 levels.

"We're in a historic drought and that demands unprecedented action," Mr Brown said.

"We have to pull together and save water in every way we can."

He was speaking at a news conference at Echo Summit in the Sierra Nevada, where state water officials reported the lowest snowpack levels in 65 years of record-keeping.

Snow supplies about a third of the state's water, and a lower snowpack means less water in California reservoirs to meet demand in summer and fall.

"We're standing on dry ground and we should be standing on five feet of snow," Mr Brown said.

The cutbacks, to be implemented by state and local water agencies, will affect consumers and businesses throughout the most populous US state. Farmers, who are already making do with less water for irrigation, will be exempt.

The governor said the move would save some 1.5m acre-feet of water over the next nine months.

The order will require campuses, golf courses, cemeteries and other large landscapes to significantly cut water use and direct local governments to replace 50m square feet of lawns with drought-tolerant landscaping.

The drought is in its fourth year, and has been compounded by low snowfall this winter. It is lingering despite storms that brought some respite in December and February.