Original sentence: California is the most populous state and largest agricultural producer in the United States, and as such, drought in California can have a severe economic as well as environmental impact.The historical and ongoing droughts in California are caused by lack of rainfall (or snowfall), higher average temperatures, and drier air masses in the atmosphere.This leads to less water availability in the natural environment and in snowpack, rivers, and reservoirs for human use; these shortages can have major impacts on agriculture and other water-intensive land uses
Edited sentence: As the most populous state in the United States and a major agricultural producer, drought in California can have a severe economic as well as environmental impact.Drought may be due solely to, or found in combination with, weather conditions; economic or political actions; or population and farming