Things are NOT done very smartly in California. I use to live by the Santa Ana river and I would watch tons of water go flowing down to the ocean. We rely on the winter snow in the Sierra and that has been depleted during this last decade. We and Las Vegas suck almost all of the water from the Colorado. A lot of our winter vegetables come from this arid area so they need the water to plant the crops.
For us who are Americans, don't forget the dust bowl in the early 20th century.