Cheap Water for Farmers

Your article is right on target. We discover that agriculture uses 83% of the state’s water, while representing only 3% of the economy. Also that four crops--alfalfa, rice, cotton and irrigated pasture--use almost a third of our water, yet represent less than 1% of our economy. And that if farms could conserve only one-tenth of the water they use, we’d have enough for all urban use for the next 20 years. My suggestion: Let agribusiness switch to some less wasteful crops, just as homeowners are asked to switch from grass lawns to water-saving plants.

JERRY COWLE, Pacific Palisades