The natural conditions of Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties do not support the population that exists here. I’ve never argue otherwise. But that does not mean that a dry, semi-arid region is the same as a desert. As I posted, Madrid and Los Angeles get about the same rainfall annually. Neither were built in a desert.
Look, if ya turn off the water supply for 12 months most everything people planted dies, what is left is a desert landscape.
Don’t believe me, just look at the early pics before the people came to S.CA and started planting stuff and bringing in remote water.