Plants and animals need water to live. Agriculture is responsible for 80 percent of the nation?s water use. More than 55 million acres of land are irrigated in the United States; in some parts of the country it is the only way to produce food. Ironically, the ideal crop production situation involves growing plants in an area where there is lots of water but none of it comes from the sky; thirsty plants can be provided water at a predictable rate and harvested at exactly the right level of moisture. In western states the allocation of water resources and water subsidies are a controversial topic, with the competing demands of residential customers at odds with those of the farmers raising crops to feed those same residents. Often, the loser is the natural environment, which also needs water but has no economic voice at the table..