For some numbers:
One graph even has California’s animal feed water usage so large it actually goes off the chart at 15.2 million acre-feet of water (it is distorted to make it fit as it notes). For some comparison, the blue water usage of animal feed is larger than all of almonds water usage of ~2 million acre-feet of water
https://pacinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ca_ftprint_full_report3.pdf#page=25
EDIT:
If the image isn’t loading for you, here’s a direct link: https://i.imgur.com/EjVps9Z.png
EDIT 2:
Also worth noting is that per liter, dairy milk requires 628.2 L of freshwater vs almond milk requiring 371.46 L of freshwater. And if you use something like oat milk instead that gets you to 48.24 L
Hi, it’s me, the average person, How is this a problem?
Record droughts
The end of the entire human race due to climate change
Before that, climate change destroying your house or access to food
The Colorado river that runs from Colorado through Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California (and lets not forget Mexico as well) is basically almost dry. It’s the life blood river for large swaths of area in those states. If it goes dry, beyond all of the SoCal farms not being able to get water, many millions of people will not be able to get drinking water.