Growing barley instead of corn “kept an estimated 45 million gallons of water in the Verde River during the summer.”
“Sinagua Malt was created to provide a market solution for declining flows in rivers and streams. The Directors of Sinagua Malt work pro bono to support local farmers and keep rivers and streams flowing.”
https://www.sinaguamalt.com/our-story.html
Barley is way better than corn anyways. As you stated, far less water.
By the same token, Barley does not strip the soil as corn does which then
creates the need for more fertilizer and then more water.
Some people in California will agree with you and with @Linn.
Save water…drink beer. 
Good for you AZ … MORE BEER!
Have to agree, but just an FYI on the ‘stripping’ from corn. Every plant takes – and contributes – different nutrients from/to the soil. Corn is not unique, barley does it too. So does cabbage, or whatever.
Using multi-month crops vs. multi-year crops like stone-fruits, allows growers more granular control of the soil. Growing corn in rotation with other crops keeps the soil strong without the need for chemical fertilizers. That’s the basic mantra for the organics folks. Adding lab fertilizers is cheaper, faster, and allows for less rotation – the mantra for the other folks.
Very rarely does ground lay fallow in the San Joaquin Valley, basically only when there is no water. But crop rotation is used by everyone because chem & organic alike see economic benefit of pulling cash off the ground by growing something different rather than pumping cash into chemco hands in a never-ending downward spiral.
