More than half of California -- a whopping 58 percent, in fact -- is now categorized under the worst level of drought possible.

News of the state's severe need for water came after the U.S. Drought Monitor report, which stated that over 58 percent of California is experiencing an "exceptional" drought -- the worst on the five-level scale.

Those numbers are a drastic jump from just last week, when about about a third of the state -- 36 percent -- was categorized under "exceptional" drought status.

This is the driest stretch the state has seen since 1985, and the dry conditions are affecting crops, pastures and wildlife. The drought report, released Thursday by the National Drought Mitigation Center, warned that bone-dry conditions have spread well outside of Southern California, and are reaching far into Northern California now too.

Overall, the state is “short more than one year’s worth of reservoir water, or 11.6 million acre-feet, for this time of year,” the report said. The drought has also “nearly depleted” the state’s topsoil moisture reserves. The timing of these conditions couldn't be worse, considering it's prime wildfire season for the state.

But topsoil and pastures aren't the only thing that will be affected by the dry conditions. Residents of California will now be affected directly, too -- by fines. The state of emergency that has California in regulation harsh mode, and water-wasters are looking at some serious penalties.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, water agencies are enlisting more conservation employees, or “water cops,” to respond to complaints or provide free consultations on how to cut your consumption.

Just last week, Santa Clara County’s water board voted unanimously to spend $500,000 to hire 10 workers to help in water-saving efforts. These new hires “will not issue tickets or collect fines for the time being,”according to the San Jose Mercury News. The county’s goal is to educate. But some districts will be more aggressive.

You can check the Association of California Water Agencies' site for information on mandatory drought restrictions, but you can find an overview below, too.

Individual violators can be fined up to $500 a day for:

1. Hosing down outdoor surfaces.

2. Overwatering lawns – if there’s runoff water, you’re overwatering.

3. Washing cars with a running hose.

4. Running what state bureaucrats call a “water feature.”

There's an app to help you navigate Santa Clara Valley Water District's questions, complaints, and requests -- which may come in handy for a number of reasons. But probably not to get out of those hefty fines, mind you.