Much attention has been focused on the use of water to grow certain agricultural crops in California, given current drought conditions in the state and mandatory cutbacks for non-agricultural water users. This attention has been twofold. First, media reports have highlighted how much water is used overall by California's agricultural sectors. Second, media reports have highlighted how much water is used to grow certain types of crops. Most media attention has focused on certain orchard crops, such as tree nuts and vineyard crops, as well as some grain and pasture crops used to support California's meat and dairy industries. These reports frequently conflict with primary data sources, resulting in confusion over the state of agricultural production and irrigated water use in the California. Regarding overall water use for California's agricultural production, media reports have widely cited estimates claiming that 80% of the state's available water supplies are used annually for agricultural use. Federal and state sources indicate that the state's agricultural sector uses less available water than many media reports claim. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) indicates that roughly 60% is used for the state's agricultural sectors; the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) indicates roughly 40%. The difference between these two estimates is largely based on different survey methods and assumptions, including the baseline amount of water estimated for use, including what constitutes "available" supplies. Some reports, including information posted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), have tried to clarify and highlight differences between various water use estimates. Regarding water used to produce specific crops, news outlets across the country have, on numerous occasions, reported estimates of the amount of water California farmers use to produce a single serving of certain foods. For example, according to these reports, it takes nearly one gallon of water to produce one almond and 450 gallons of water to produce a quarter-pound hamburger patty. Such statistics can be misleading and further raise questions about the usefulness of quantifying the inputs and resources required to produce a single serving of a specific crop or a single serving of meat or dairy products. Most fruit and nut trees require water year-round and often take several years before the plant reaches fruiting maturity. At maturity, a fruit orchard can produce food capable of feeding many people. Other crops—such as feed grains and pasture crops—are grown, in some cases, mainly to feed livestock, poultry, and dairy cows. The cumulative amount of resources and inputs needed to raise a single farm animal to maturity adds up quickly. Growing consumer and market demand for these food commodities is also a major factor in their production. Moreover, some agricultural products are grown in areas where water is more accessible. Also, not all of the water used by the agriculture sector is captured by the plant; some is returned to the soil or atmosphere. Congressional interest in California agricultural water use centers largely on the operation of the Bureau of Reclamation's Central Valley Project, which supplies water to numerous agricultural and municipal contractors, some or much of it at a low cost, as well as on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) support for individual crops and farmers. Congress may also be interested in broader implications of decreased agricultural production and/or lack of water availability throughout the state under certain water supply scenarios. ( Figure 1 provides a map of California's counties and agricultural districts.) Agriculture and related industries are important to California's economy. The total value of the agricultural production and processing sector was estimated at more than $100 billion in 2012-2013, including the farm, wholesale, and retail levels for agriculture and agriculture-related industries ( Table 1 ). As a share of the total California economy, direct agricultural production and processing output (sales) accounted for nearly 3% of total state output. Considering the broader economic contribution of the state's food and beverage sectors, the industry's share of the California economy was estimated at nearly 5% ( Table 1 ). Several studies have been conducted by researchers at the University of California estimating the contribution of some of the state's major farming sectors to the overall state economy. For example, California's dairy industry, including dairy farming and milk processing, contributed an estimated $20.8 billion in 2014 to the state in terms of economic value added (direct plus so-called indirect and induced effects). California's almond industry generated an estimated $21.5 billion in 2014 in total economic impacts for the state. Overall, these researchers estimate that a "$1 billion increase of the value added from agricultural production and processing results in a total of $2.63 billion of [gross state product] GSP," or the value added by all industries in the state. Other estimates are even greater. Employment within California's agricultural sector averaged more than 412,000 jobs during 2014, accounting for more than 2% of overall employment. Including other closely related processing industries, researchers at the University of California estimate that the state's agricultural sectors accounts for as much as 6.7% of California's private sector labor force (including part-time workers). Other estimates place this estimate even higher. These researchers further estimate that "each job in agricultural production and processing accounts for 2.2 jobs in the California economy as a whole." Agricultural production and processing employment in some parts of California, such as the Central Valley, are estimated to be greater in percentage terms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that based on the value of agricultural sales, California ranks as the leading state nationwide. In 2012, California's farm-level sales totaled nearly $45 billion and accounted for nearly 11% of total U.S. farm-level sales ( Figure 2 ). USDA ranks five counties—Tulare, Kern, Fresno, Monterey, and Merced—as among the leading agricultural counties in the United States, with a reported $28.7 billion in farm sales. Four of these counties receive water from the federal Central Valley Project (CVP), which has reduced deliveries in recent years due to drought and environmental factors. Whereas most farm states specialize in producing a few agriculture commodities, California's farm sector is diverse and produces more than 400 commodities. Still, the leading 20 agricultural commodities comprise about 80% of total farm cash receipts, and the leading 50 commodities account for more than 90% of all farm receipts. In 2013, California's top-10 valued commodities (ranked by total farm-level sales) included milk ($7.6 billion), almonds ($5.8 billion), grapes ($5.6 billion), cattle and calves ($3.05 billion), strawberries ($2.2 billion), walnuts ($1.8 billion), lettuce ($1.7 billion), hay ($1.6 billion), tomatoes ($1.2 billion), and nursery plants ($1.2 billion). Alfalfa production and other forage crops, while not high in overall market value, provide an important input to the state's dairy and other animal agriculture production. More than 60% of California's farm-level sales are attributed to specialty crops, defined as "fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture)." California's agricultural sectors are an important leader in agricultural production nationwide. Nationally, California accounts for more than one-third of the value of all specialty crops sold; also, nearly one-half of all irrigated acres growing specialty crops are located in California. For some crops, such as raisins, almonds, walnuts, nectarines, and pistachios, California supplies the majority of U.S. production each year. Many of these crops—including almonds and other nuts, wine and table grapes, processed tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables—are also important U.S. agricultural exports. Exports of all U.S. fresh and processed fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts totaled $21.7 billion in 2014 ( Figure 3 ). Given California's predominance in growing specialty crops, the share of California farms receiving federal farm support payments is low compared to the national average, as specialty crop producers generally do not directly benefit from a commodity-specific farm program. About 10% of California farms receive federal support, compared to 40% of all farms in the United States. Historical acreage trends in California show a shift toward high-value crops, such as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and other specialty crops, and away from traditional, lower-value field crops (e.g., corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, rice, and other oilseeds and feed grains). For example, harvested acres of field crops declined from 6.5 million to 4.0 million acres from 1960 to 2009 ( Table 2 ). (See text box for definitions of crop acreage and land use categories.) During this same time period, acres in fruits, nuts, and vegetables almost doubled, from a combined total of 1.9 million acres to 3.7 million acres. Total harvested and bearing acres rose from 8.5 million acres in 1960 to 9.5 million acres in the 1970s and declined to 7.7 million acres in 2009. More recent data disaggregated by these crop categories—"Field Crops," "Fruits and Nuts," and Vegetables and Melons"—are not readily available. Other data from California's County Agricultural Commissioners' Reports and USDA's Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey indicate that, in 2013, total harvested acres were 7.9 million acres. Both 2009 and 2013 were drought years in California, which may in part explain why harvested acres during those years were lower. In other years of drought and low rainfall, such as in 1987-1992 and 2000-2001, overall acreage declined, with total acres dropping in recent years. The 1987-1992 drought preceded various environmental restrictions that resulted in less water made available to some farming operations, particularly operations in some parts of California.