▁the ▁Mer ced ▁River . ▁The ▁flows ▁were ▁initially ▁ ▁in ▁that ▁year . ▁The ▁increased ▁flows ▁will ▁not ▁only ▁begin ▁to ▁restore ▁large ▁areas ▁of ▁des ic c ated ▁rivers ide ▁habitat ▁below ▁the ▁dam , ▁but ▁will ▁serve ▁the ▁primary ▁purpose ▁of ▁rest oring ▁sal mon ▁runs ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁waters hed . ▁The ▁rest oration ▁flows , ▁however , ▁will ▁cause ▁a ▁ 1 2 ▁to ▁ 1 5 ▁percent ▁reduction ▁of ▁water ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁Fri ant ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁C VP ▁with ▁compla ints ▁from ▁ir rig ators ▁in ▁the ▁valley ▁as ▁a ▁result . ▁There ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁a ▁law suit ▁regarding ▁damage ▁to ▁far ml and ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in , ▁near ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Los ▁B añ os , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁the ▁flows ▁are ▁se eping ▁through ▁le ve es ▁that ▁have ▁not ▁seen ▁use ▁in ▁years ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁dry ing ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁channel . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁dry ▁reaches , ▁the ▁higher ▁dis charge ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁will ▁help ▁restore ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁ ▁of ▁river , ▁fig uring ▁in ▁st ret ches ▁with ▁low ▁or ▁poll uted ▁flows . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁hoped ▁that ▁the ▁water ▁will ▁help ▁dil ute ▁cont amin ants ▁in ▁the ▁river ▁caused ▁by ▁p estic ides ▁and ▁fert il izers ▁that ▁are ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁surrounding ▁far ml and . ▁In ▁turn , ▁the ▁boost ▁in ▁flow ▁could ▁assist ▁rest oration ▁efforts