Pubdate: Sun, 15 Mar 2015 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Copyright: 2015 Hearst Communications Inc. Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1 Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388 Author: Stephen Green WATER FOR WEED "Tap California innovators to improve on water policy" (Insight, March 8) offered insightful suggestions for improving management of California water. Among the suggestions was reducing "drought-susceptible crops, like almonds." California almonds use nearly 9 percent of the state agricultural water supply, or about 3.5 million acre-feet. Marijuana cultivation also accounts for significant water use, with 60 million gallons per day at peak growing season, or double the daily amount consumed by San Francisco. And much of the water going to pot farms is diverted illegally. Last summer, 24 California streams went dry, and some rivers were reduced to a succession of ponds. In Mendocino County, pot growers were stealing water from fire hydrants in the middle of the night. What are state regulators doing to stop the illegal diversion of water for pot farms? Next to nothing. Stephen Green, Fair Oaks, Sacramento County - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom