As California is mired by its fourth year of drought, one industry has sprouted up from the seemingly endless dry spell.

In an effort to brighten up dry and unsightly lawns, some landscapers have been offering the innovative solution of painting lawns green.

California recently announced sweeping statewide water restrictions for the first time in history to combat the region's devastating drought - the worst since records began.

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Going green: The grass paint is environmentally friendly and provides an alternative to the parched lawns caused by four years of droughts

But the severe water shortage has not stopped residents from wanting to keep gardens looking fresh, leading to a surge in companies using the environmentally friendly turf dyes.

Jim Power, a 45-year-old mortgage broker whose business imploded in 2007, told the LA Times:

'I was up real late one night watching Nightline and there was a story about a guy in New York that was painting lawns, and I said, "What a great idea".'

He said up the company LawnLift and is now a leading provider of lawn paint for homeowners, hoteliers, wedding planners and others who want to change the look of their drought-stricken grass.

Grass is greener: Cy Bodden from the San Diego company LawnLift sprays their grass paint to improve the color of the lawn

Adding color: Residents are opting to paint their grass green because of severe water shortages caused by years of droughts

The industry once limited to athletic fields and golf courses is now booming as officials look to stamp out any non-essential use of water.

Residents across California have been demolishing pools, cutting back on showers and letting their lawns turn brown after experts estimated that there will be less than a year's worth of drinking water left in the state's reservoirs by the end of 2015.

The drought has forced ski resorts to close down, and a photograph of children playing where a river once stood is an ominous beacon of change ahead as California orders water conservation.

Last month, Governor Jerry Brown ordered communities to cut water use by 25 per cent by early next year.

Beverly Hills, 10 miles west of downtown Los Angeles, has since invoked its highest state of water emergency, the Globe and Mail reports.

This has led to them shutting off all fountains that don't use recycled water, a ban on filling new swimming pools and a prohibition on restaurants giving patrons a glass of water, unless they ask for one.

Contrast: Lush green golf courses border the edge of the desert in Palm Springs as some of the state's poshest courses install high-tech systems to monitor moistore

Dusty: California's epic drought is reshaping the course at El Niguel Country Club and dozens of others statewide as some areas are left to turn brown

Its city council also approved fines of up to $1,000 and hefty water surcharges for abusers, while giving itself new powers to shut off the tap if residents balk.

Some of the state's finest golf courses are taking such steps as tearing out the grass in places where it won't affect the game, planting drought-resistant vegetation, letting the turf turn brown in spots and installing smart watering systems.

Some are spending up to $500,000 a year on water to keep the oasis look while country clubs also realize that the sight of great expanses of perfect grass won't sit well with the public when people are being asked to take four-minute showers, flush less and let their own lawns wither.

Many are installing liners in their artificial lakes, turning off sprinklers in areas of less foot traffic and considering on-site facilities that treat waste water from the sewers — a strategy Australian golf courses used to survive a recent 10-year drought.

Creative: Glofers watch on as a worker installs moisture monitoring and irrigation systems at a course in California

Unprecedented: Levels are down 160 feet from the high-water mark at the Bidwell Canyon Marina on Lake Oroville, California, as a result of four years of droughts

Ed Osann, a water use expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the golf course industry must shift away from using drinkable water over the next decade or risk its future.