United States should prepare for the worst drought recorded in the last 1,000 years

• Humans drink about a gallon of water a day; cows, upwards of 23 gallons.
• The alfalfa, hay, and pasturage raised to feed livestock in California account for approximately 1/2 of the water used in the state, with alfalfa representing the highest-acreage crop.
• In parts of Montana, as much as 90 percent of irrigated land is operated solely for the production of livestock feed
• 90 percent of Nevada’s cropland is dedicated to raising hay.
• 1/2 of Idaho’s three million acres of irrigated farmland grows forage and feed exclusively for cattle; livestock production represents 60 percent of the state’s water use.
• In Utah, cows are the top agricultural product, and three-fifths of the state’s cropland is planted with hay.
• Alfalfa and hay production in the West requires more than ten timesthe water used by the region’s cities and industries combined, according to some estimates.
• Producing one kilogram of animal protein requires about 100 timesmore water than producing one kilogram of grain protein.

Source: 1, 2, 3, whoisbenjacoby