CLIMATE AND THE ECONOMY – Drought, as applied to agricultural practices in California, must be evaluated on a different basis than in other parts of the country. Typically there are extended periods every summer with little or no precipitation.  This is the normal and expected condition.  A deficiency of the precipitation becomes significant in the State when the normal winter water supply fails to materialize.  Winter range is important in the livestock industry.  An abnormally dry winter can be disastrous to cattle raising.

Approximately 90 percent of California’s water supply is used for agriculture.  A shortage of irrigation water stored at the beginning of the season in numerous reservoirs is serious, since normal summer precipitation does not provide a sufficient amount of agriculture’s requirements.  California has about 37 million acres of farmland, but more than one-half of this is open range and less then one-third is cropland.  Approximately 8.5 million acres are under irrigation and this figure is increasing.  At the present time agricultureal, domestic, and industrial demands for water amount to 30 million acre-feet per year.  A requirement for 50 million acre-feet is anticipated within a few years.