It’s amazing when you realize that each and every Californian consumes an average of more than 300 gallons of water per week.

How is that possible? You are eating food that is produced in California. California farmers produce more than one-third of the nation’s produce. They also produce two-thirds of the fruit and nuts that are consumed in our nation.

In order to continue to produce all the fruits, vegetables and nuts that we all consume, they use approximately 80 percent of all of the water that is consumed in California.

The farming draw on the state’s precious water supply is amazingly high and has much to do with the current water crisis. So, by eating locally grown food, you are contributing to the water crisis.

I’m not suggesting that you purchase food from out of state. The quality would not be as good as locally grown produce, and you’d be adding to the bad air quality by increasing inbound trucking. I am merely pointing out the fact that produce grown in our state has a huge cost in water and adds to the water crisis we all face.

An example of water usage for various produce items:

* 4.1 gallons of water to produce one-eighth of an avocado.

* 15.3 gallons of water produce only 16 almonds.

* 15.1 gallons of water produce only 2 ounces of rice.

* It takes 8 glasses of water to produce nine spinach leaves.

* It takes 42.5 gallons of water to produce three Mandarin oranges. (I have been eating three per day since the season started.)

Meat and dairy products are also huge users of water. You need water for the crops the animals eat. And much of the produce, such as corn to feed beef, comes from the Midwest.

Did you know it takes 143 gallons of water to produce only four glasses of milk? And 1.75 ounces of beef takes 86 gallons of water. And most people eat 4 to 8 ounces in a serving of beef.

Next time you toss back a handful of pistachio nuts, keep in mind that every six pistachios you eat took 2.1 gallons of water to produce. And 3½ walnuts cost us seven gallons of water to produce.

So, you must ask yourself, what are the alternatives? And is California agriculture sustainable?

Alternatives must be considered if the drought that we have been experiencing continues. My first suggestion to our elected officials would be to consider desalinization. While this avenue of obtaining water might be more expensive, what will happen to our state if we lose our agriculture?

Barring the idea of turning sea water into useable water for every consumer, we could purchase imported foods at higher prices, go without foods we enjoy, and settle for a more limited, less exotic diet of foods that can be grown anywhere, or eat a bland, flavorless, unhealthy diet of imported noodles.

With as many varied fruits and vegetables as I eat on a daily basis, I would hate to add up all of the water I am costing the state on an annual basis. I wish I had the answer to this huge dilemma. But it is clear we have to begin to think again. We cannot continue on to waste water as we have in the past.

Some minor solutions are: Don’t let the water run when you brush your teeth, take quick showers, save rain water in rain barrels for irrigating you home garden, and grow native plants that are drought tolerant. It will require a lifestyle change by all of us.

Even then, the future of the agricultural California may be endangered. Do your part, and save as much water as you can, wherever you can.

Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel is executive director of the Community Hiking Club and president of the Santa Clara River Watershed Conservancy. Contact Dianne through communityhikingclub.org or at zuliebear@aol.com.