Drought distress in California

California has been dealing with a severe drought in recent weeks - the worst on record. The dry conditions led Governor Jerry Brown to declare drought emergency in January, and California residents have been asked to restrict their water usage as much as possible.

California is famously home to huge wine-growing regions. During the winter, the vines always look as they do in this picture. But water is still urgently needed. If the vines' roots dry up, it can have negative effects for the next season.

Tens of thousands of jobs in the farming industry in Central Valley are in danger due to the drought. Experts estimate that 200,000 hectares of farming land can't be used because of the water shortage. California's agriculture ministry has calculated the resulting economic damage at five billion dollars.

Ryan Jacobsen is shown here, examining his vines. The drought doesn't affect him as much as some of his colleagues. He can drain ground water on his estate in order to irrigate his vines.

Normally, the rainy season in California lasts until May. It's generally only thereafter that Californians have to deal with heat, dust and forest fires. But this year, the authorities and the fire brigades fear forest fires can start at any time.

Some farmers receive only a set amount of water - if they can afford it - so that their crops will not dry up. This picture shows the cultivation of alfalfa, which is a forage crop to feed livestock. It costs $100 to irrigate this field for a few hours.

Roughly half of America's vegetables and fruits are grown in California. The drought is likely to change that. For consumers, this means increasing prices above all else.

Scallions are being grown in the field pictured here. The irrigation method shown is an example of what needs to be improved: Sprinkler systems like this one are far less efficient than drop irrigation. The latter allows for an exact distribution of water, less of which evaporates or seeps away.

During the winter, the San Luis Reservoir usually fills to its rim, dropping to the low level seen in this picture only in the summer. Currently, the reservoir is only 40 percent filled. The lack of water in the reservoir has led authorities to regulate its water volume strictly in order to prevent the reservoir from completely drying up.