A lot of press has focused on almond agriculture, which has the interesting property that missing one season of water destroys more than one season's harvest; it can kill the trees. This seems politically advantageous in a situation like the present one; by increasing the harm done by denying the water, it has a blackmail effect, yet without looking like blackmail.

Is there any politically realistic way to counter such incentives to be more vulnerable? I'd say it requires government either to take a consistent laissez-faire line so that farmers' failures aren't seen as public responsibility or to step in and regulate more, restricting who can grow almonds or at least requiring a drought plan registered in advance.