In this Tuesday March 31, 2015 photo, almonds are seen on growing in an almond orchard belonging to farmer Bob Weimer, near Atwater, Calif. As California cities and towns move to mandatory water cutbacks in the fourth year of extreme drought, the state’s $6.5 billion almond crop has claimed the spotlight as “the poster child of all things bad in water” in the country’s top agriculture state. At 1 gallon per almond, California’s almond crop is now consuming about 10 percent of all the water that Californians are using in the drought.  In this Tuesday March 31, 2015 photo, almonds are seen on growing...  In this Thursday, April 9, 2015 photo, a worker stocks up on almonds packaged as originating from the United States at a supermarket in Beijing. Last year almond orchards consumed more of California’s vanishing water than the indoor use of all 39 million California residents combined. As California enters its fourth year of drought, and imposes the first mandatory statewide water cutbacks on cities and towns, the $6.5 billion almond crop is helping drive a sharp debate about water use, agricultural interests and how both affect the state’s giant economy.  In this Thursday, April 9, 2015 photo, a worker stocks up on...  David Doll, a farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, holds an almond he believes is smaller in size due to the drought, taken from an orchard near Hillmar, Calif., on Friday, April 3, 2015.  David Doll, a farm advisor with the University of California...  Almond grower Bob Weimer inspects a low-flow water emitter used to irrigate the trees of his almond orchard near Atwater, Calif., on March 31, 2015. As California cities and towns move to mandatory water cutbacks in the fourth year of extreme drought, the state's $6.5 billion almond crop has claimed the spotlight as “the poster child of all things bad in water” in the country's top agriculture state. At one gallon per almond, California's almond crop is now consuming about 10 percent of all the water that Californians are using in the drought.  Almond grower Bob Weimer inspects a low-flow water emitter used to...  A micro sprinkler irrigates an almond orchard near Hillmar, Calif., on Fri. April 3, 2015.  A micro sprinkler irrigates an almond orchard near Hillmar, Calif.,...  David Doll (left), a farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, meets with Steve Brewer, the orchard manager of Denis Family farms, about the current effect of the drought on his almond trees near Stevinson, Calif., on April 3, 2015.  David Doll (left), a farm advisor with the University of California...  As California enters its fourth year of drought and imposes the first mandatory statewide water cutbacks on cities and towns, the $6.5 billion almond crop is helping drive a sharp debate about water use, agricultural interests and how both affect the state's giant economy.  As California enters its fourth year of drought and imposes the...  Drip irrigation is used in an almond orchard near Hillmar, Calif., on April 3, 2015.  Drip irrigation is used in an almond orchard near Hillmar, Calif.,...  Steve Brewer, the orchard manager of Denis Family farms, uses a pump to bring water from the Merced River to his almond orchard near Stevinson, Calif, on April 3, 2015.  Steve Brewer, the orchard manager of Denis Family farms, uses a...  In this Thursday, April 9, 2015 photo, a worker replaces advertisement near bags of almonds packaged as originating from California at a supermarket in Beijing. Last year almond orchards consumed more of California’s vanishing water than the indoor use of all 39 million California residents combined. As California enters its fourth year of drought, and imposes the first mandatory statewide water cutbacks on cities and towns, the $6.5 billion almond crop is helping drive a sharp debate about water use, agricultural interests and how both affect the state’s giant economy.  In this Thursday, April 9, 2015 photo, a worker replaces...  Almond grower Bob Weimer poses in his orchard near Atwater, Calif., on Tuesday March 31, 2015. As California cities and towns move to mandatory water cutbacks in the fourth year of extreme drought, the state's $6.5 billion almond crop has claimed the spotlight as “the poster child of all things bad in water” in the country's top agriculture state. At 1 one gallon per almond, California's almond crop is now consuming about 10 percent of all the water that Californians are using in the drought.  Almond grower Bob Weimer poses in his orchard near Atwater, Calif.,...  David Doll, a farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, holds an almond he believes is smaller in size due to the drought, taken from an orchard near Stevinson, Calif., on Fri. April 3, 2015.  David Doll, a farm advisor with the University of California...  David Doll, a farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, displays a micro sprinkler used to irrigate an almond orchard near Hillmar, Calif, on Fri. April 3, 2015.  David Doll, a farm advisor with the University of California...  Farmer Rudy Mussi watches his grandson, Lorenzo, as he tries to turn a water valve on his almond orchard in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Stockton, Calif., on Friday March 27, 2015.  Farmer Rudy Mussi watches his grandson, Lorenzo, as he tries to...  David Doll (left), a farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, talks with Steve Brewer, the orchard manager of Denis Family farms, who uses a floating pump to bring water from the Merced River to his almond orchard, on Fri. April 3, 2015.  David Doll (left), a farm advisor with the University of California...  A low-flow water emitter sits on the dry, cracked ground of farmer Rudy Mussi's almond orchard in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Stockton, Calif., on Friday March 27, 2015.  A low-flow water emitter sits on the dry, cracked ground of farmer...  David Doll (left), a farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, talks with almond farmer Manuel Silva, crop consultant Ron Soares and Manuel's son Dave about their orchard near Hillmar, Calif., on Fri. April 3, 2015.  David Doll (left), a farm advisor with the University of California...  Farmer Rudy Mussi inspects one of the low-flow water emitters on his almond orchard in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta near Stockton, Calif., on Friday March 27, 2015.  Farmer Rudy Mussi inspects one of the low-flow water emitters on...  David Doll (center), a farm advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension, talks with almond farmer Manuel Silva (left) and Manuel's son Dave about their orchard near Hillmar, Calif., on Fri. April 3, 2015.  David Doll (center), a farm advisor with the University of...  In this Tuesday, March 31, 2015 photo, almond grower Bob Weimer works in his almond orchard near Atwater, Calif. As California cities and towns move to mandatory water cutbacks in the fourth year of extreme drought, the state's $6.5 billion almond crop has claimed the spotlight as “the poster child of all things bad in water” in the country's top agriculture state. At 1 gallon per almond, California's almond crop is now consuming about 10 percent of all the water that Californians are using in the drought. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)  In this Tuesday, March 31, 2015 photo, almond grower Bob Weimer...  In this Tuesday, March 31, 2015 photo, almond grower Bob Weimer works in his almond orchard near Atwater, Calif. As California cities and towns move to mandatory water cutbacks in the fourth year of extreme drought, the state's $6.5 billion almond crop has claimed the spotlight as “the poster child of all things bad in water” in the country's top agriculture state. At 1 gallon per almond, California's almond crop is now consuming about 10 percent of all the water that Californians are using in the drought. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)  In this Tuesday, March 31, 2015 photo, almond grower Bob Weimer...  In this Tuesday March 31, 2015 photo, almond grower Bob Weimer inspects almond trees in his orchard near Atwater, Calif. As California cities and towns move to mandatory water cutbacks in the fourth year of extreme drought, the state's $6.5 billion almond crop has claimed the spotlight as “the poster child of all things bad in water” in the country's top agriculture state. At 1 gallon per almond, California's almond crop is now consuming about 10 percent of all the water that Californians are using in the drought. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)  In this Tuesday March 31, 2015 photo, almond grower Bob Weimer...  In this Tuesday March 31, 2015 photo, almond grower Bob Weimer inspects a new well being drilled at his almond orchard near Atwater, Calif. As California cities and towns move to mandatory water cutbacks in the fourth year of extreme drought, the state's $6.5 billion almond crop has claimed the spotlight as “the poster child of all things bad in water” in the country's top agriculture state. At 1 gallon per almond, California's almond crop is now consuming about 10 percent of all the water that Californians are using in the drought. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)  In this Tuesday March 31, 2015 photo, almond grower Bob Weimer...
Rows of almond trees now cover nearly 1 million acres in California, many of them on previously virgin hillsides or in pastures or desert with little rain or local water.  Since each tiny nut requires a gallon of water, almonds are consuming 1.07 trillion gallons annually in the state, one-fifth more than California families use indoors.  [...] when Gov. Jerry Brown ordered cities and towns this month to cut their water consumption by 25 percent but exempted farms, almonds got toasted in the public heat that followed.  In China, where the number of middle-class households has doubled since 2006, consumers see almonds as a healthy snack and regard American food in general as less contaminated than products from elsewhere.  California almonds are a popular bagged treat in China's convenience stores and supermarkets and a must-have item in holiday gift baskets.  In all, agriculture uses 80 percent of the water that Californians draw from groundwater and surface supplies but produces just 1.5 percent of the state's gross domestic product, noted Christopher Thornberg, an economist who has served as an economic adviser to state agencies.  Other top almond producers include Stewart and Lynda Resnik, the politically influential Beverly Hills billionaires behind Fiji bottled water, Pom pomegranate juice and a Central Valley almond and pistachio operation that they say is one of the world's largest.