California has lots of water resources. Just a little bit better management and all those orchards can get watered. Nuts are high value in dollars, nutrition, and taste. We need something the Chinese want to trade for iPhones.
California could make iPhones.
Really? It's a labor intensive process despite the level of automation (5 years ago there were at least manual steps; don't know today). More importantly: IIRC Apple makes about $150 in profit per phone while Foxconn makes under $5/unit. Seems like the cost differential would be much more than $5/unit.
If you like to eat fruit and vegetables in the winter then you need to thank California. It has 6 growing seasons feeding a lot of the USA all year around with fresh produce.
It is the breadbasket of North America.
Most of places don't have suitable climates for the type of crops grown in CA though. It's a very special place.
On the other hand you could fill an office full of programmers in North Dakota.
Which is why in a sense it's a travesty that commodity crops are grown in CA with scarce water.
The nondesert part of CA ha plenty of water. but people insist on living in the desert.