I took the Sonora Pass two years ago, about when that fire was in the last stages of being snuffed out. (I was trying to avoid the smoke on Tioga Road on my way to the East Sierra, and figured I may as well see what the Sonora Pass was like.) From what little I remember of that pass (I was hideously carsick, so that was my main memory), it seemed dry then. (Last year I took my usual route, which was 120 to Tioga Road to Lee Vining; I already mentioned how dry that seemed.)
The problem for us, with a move, is where would there be water, where there would not also be other issues or problems (potential or real) of one kind or another... I have a sister who lives in KS, but sooner or later there is bound to be water issues there, I think. (They had some degree of drought last year, iirc, and hellishly high summer temps. DH doesn't want to live in a cold winter area, though, anyway.)
I agree that this will probably impact real estate sales and prices, especially with the requirement that drip irrigation be used. (Drip irrigation is a bad solution where there are rats, or deer... in our experience.)
