California Governor Ed Brown lifted the state’s drought state of emergency on April 7 via Executive Order B-40-17, except in the major farming counties of Tulare, Fresno, and Kings counties plus Tuolumne, thanks to heavy winter rains, snow, plus water conservation.

Yet the state’s CEO reminded state residents, “This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner. Conservation must remain a way of life.”

Gov. Brown kept on the books water reporting requirements, plus prohibiting residents from watering during and after rainfall, hosing off the sidewalks, plus irrigating ornamental turf on road medians.

The State of California press statement said state agencies have released a plan to make conservation a way of life in California, per Brown’s request. The plan requires new legislation to establish long-term water conservation measures, plus improved planning for more frequent severe droughts.

Noting the impact of the 2012-2016 drought on rural areas, Brown says the drought reduced agricultural production in some regions, disrupted drinking water supplies in rural communities, harmed wildlife, and killed about 100 million trees.