At a base level, the claim that water intensity of livestock is more to blame for CA water issues does not seem to be supported. Water use for livestock, feed, and silage is about ~27% of total applied agricultural water in the state, wheres an outright majority thereof goes to orchards and vineyards[0].

Moreover, water is the least mobile aspect of agriculture. Land can be put to different use, products can be shipped, but water is pretty much where it is; moving it ranges from generationally difficult (e.g. CVP, SWP, ...) to physically impractical (e.g. lifting the Colorado to irrigate upstream). Water supply systems are effectively closed and separate. Any analysis of competing uses has to take place within the context of that closed system. The average water intensity of livestock does not matter; only the fraction of that intensity demanded from CA population-rivalrous sources. As it stands that's "some" (and much more from feed _importers_ than is reasonable, as the other comment notes[1]). Converting more central valley to unirrigated rangeland, and topping up nutritional deficits with imported feed would be hugely beneficial for CA water issues, even though it's a 'water intense' product.

[0]: https://www.ppic.org/publication/water-use-in-californias-ag... [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40915369