The last few wars have been about oil. It has been suggested that the next war will be about water. We are lucky in most of Minnesota to have lots of fresh water, problems in the southwestern part of the state notwithstanding ("Money fight may leave some high and dry," April 22), but states like California and Arizona are having a real shortage. So let's conserve the water we have.

Shut off your faucet while you brush your teeth. Install water-conserving toilet tanks. If you have automatic sprinklers for your lawn, turn them as low as possible. If you water with a hose, do so very sparingly. Keep in mind that brown is beautiful.

Harley Horsager, Lakeville