LA Times: without a few successive winters of above-average precipitation, California has only 12 to 18 months of water left.
Scary to contemplate. The article is somewhat over simplistic in that various parts of California have varied water sources and storage capacities/techniques. It is spot on in its critique of the lack of conservation though. Why LA still has green lawns is beyond me. Can anyone imagine what it would require to relocated the population of the greater LA area should drought continue to worsen? Talk about climate refuges and logistical nightmares!
No cities or communities will be relocated as a result of water shortages. As California continues its inevitable march towards permanent shortages and can no longer support existing demands, agriculture and other outdoor uses will be stopped or banned. In the link provided by Laurent, 75% of water use is agriculture and half of residential water use in the state is outside the home. (landscape, pools etc.). Indoor residential uses will rule (drinking, cooking, cleaning, toilets) and, eventually, outdoor residential use will be banned and agricultural use will simply wither away.