▁po ckets ▁of ▁the ▁under ground ▁water . ▁ ▁Even ▁after ▁better ▁practices ▁and ▁new ▁sources ▁of ▁water ▁through ▁federal ▁projects , ▁ground water ▁p ump ing ▁continues ▁at ▁a ▁trem end ous ▁rate . ▁The ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley ▁aqu ifer ▁lost ▁about ▁ ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁which ▁despite ▁being ▁a ▁dram atic ▁reduction ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁still ▁amounts ▁to ▁nearly ▁ ▁per ▁year . ▁The ▁subs idence ▁caused ▁by ▁ground water ▁withdraw al ▁has ▁threatened ▁infrastr ucture ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley , ▁including ▁the ▁California ▁Aqu ed uct , ▁a ▁State ▁Water ▁Project ▁facility ▁that ▁con ve ys ▁water ▁from ▁the ▁delta ▁region ▁to ▁coast al - central ▁and ▁southern ▁California . ▁Sub s idence ▁has ▁also ▁dam aged ▁high ways ▁and ▁power ▁lines ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁causing ▁some ▁areas ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁flo oding . ▁ ▁Re connect ing ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁to ▁the ▁ocean ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Rec lam ation ▁began ▁to ▁release ▁water ▁from ▁Fri ant ▁Dam ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁restore ▁two ▁once - d ry ▁st ret ches ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁of ▁about ▁. ▁These ▁two ▁reaches ▁are ▁from ▁below ▁the ▁dam ▁to ▁M end ota ▁Pool , ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁S ack ▁Dam , ▁a ▁di version ▁dam ▁approximately ▁ ▁down stream , ▁to ▁the ▁confl u ence ▁with