the water board will release
( photo by justin sullivan getty images ) the directive comes more than a year after brown asked for a 20 % voluntary cut in water use that most parts of the state have failed to attain , even as one of the most severe modern droughts drags into a fourth year .
 
we 're standing on dry grass , " brown announced the executive order in a sierra nevada meadow that provided a dramatic illustration of the state 's parched conditions . "
some critics of brown 's order said it did n't do enough to address agricultural uses .
now in its third straight year of drought conditions , california is experiencing its driest year on record , dating back 119 years , and reservoirs throughout the state have low water levels .
 
water agencies will discourage water waste with higher rates and fees .
new developments will have to install drip or microspray systems if they irrigate with drinking water .