In wake of the extreme drought in California, homeowners are taking new measures to maintain their lawns in order to cut down on water use.

A number of residents in the state are tearing out their grass lawns and replacing the grass with plants that don't require as much water to survive.

Water agencies have also began offering thousands of dollars in rebates, which has helped the spike in the number of homeowners making the switch to a drought-friendly landscape across the state, reports Fox News.

Water officials hope the shift is more than a temporary trend and instead will mark the beginning of a transformation in the the majority of neighborhood landscapes.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California received requests to remove 2.5 million square feet in residential lawns last month, compared to 99,000 in January, said Bill McDonnell, the consortium's water efficiency manager.

"Twenty years from now, the ideal thing is you take your dog for a walk in a neighborhood, and the guy who has grass on his yard would be the abnormal yard," McDonnell said. He added since the incentives began, more than 21 million square feet of turf have been removed in Metropolitan's area, which covers over 19 million people.

Plus, the Municipal Water District of Orange County receives up to 30 applications each day, up from just five a week before Gov. Jerry Brown issued a drought emergency earlier in the year.

"We are just buried right now," said Joe Berg, the agency's water efficiency programs manager.

Rick Blankenship said he is happy that he got rid of his traditional front yard in Long Beach three years ago and replaced his grass with natural sage, emerald green-colored ground covers, magnolias and peppermint willow trees.

"It just sounded like a great way to save money and, at the same time, kind of beautify my landscape," the 51-year-old medical sales director told The Associated Press.