It is a first for the state, but Gov. Jerry Brown said he had no choice but to issue mandatory water restrictions to force Los Angeles and other cities to reduce their use of drinking water by 25 percent.

Citing record-low snowfall in the state, Brown on Wednesday issued an executive order instructing the California State Water Resources Control Board to implement the water cuts. He also ordered that the state invest in new technologies, replace 50 million square feet of lawn statewide and increase enforcement of water suppliers and agencies.

Brown joined surveyors in the Sierra Nevada who took electronic readings of the snowpack there, which they determined is only 5 percent of the historic average for this time of year. The average is 28.3 inches by April 1 which has historically been when the snowpack peaks.

“Today we are standing on dry grass where there should be five feet of snow,” Brown said in a statement. “This historic drought demands unprecedented action.”

Under Wednesday’s order, golf courses, cemeteries and school campuses will have to cut down on water usage. And newly constructed homes will be prohibited from irrigating landscaping with drinking water unless they use efficient drip systems.