ut aries ; ▁these ▁include ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁fish ▁h atch eries . ▁, ▁plans ▁had ▁been ▁final ized ▁for ▁a ▁$ 1 4 . 5 ▁million ▁h atch ery ▁near ▁Fri ant ▁Dam ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁$ 2 0 ▁million ▁federal ▁rest oration ▁project ▁for ▁the ▁fish . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁even ▁though ▁there ▁are ▁still ▁d ams ▁in ▁the ▁way ▁of ▁allowing ▁sal mon ▁to ▁navigate ▁the ▁entire ▁river , ▁attempts ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁get ▁sal mon ▁to ▁lay ▁eggs ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁near ▁Fri ant ▁Dam . ▁ ▁The ▁closest ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁rev ived ▁sal mon ▁population ▁is ▁the ▁But te ▁River ▁near ▁Ch ico . ▁ ▁Gr ound water ▁over d raft ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁heavy ▁demand ▁of ▁water ▁for ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁the ▁ins u fficient ▁flow ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River , ▁ground water ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley ' s ▁rich ▁aqu ifer ▁has ▁been ▁an ▁important ▁source ▁of ▁ir rig ation ▁supply ▁since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁Histor ically , ▁surface ▁water ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁provide ▁all ▁the ▁needed ▁supply , ▁but ▁as ▁agricult ural ▁lands ▁spread ▁across ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁valley , ▁ground water ▁p ump ing ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁common . ▁Also , ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁better ▁technology ▁that ▁allowed ▁far mers ▁to ▁dig ▁deeper ▁well s ▁and ▁install ▁elect rical ▁p umps , ▁ground water ▁was ▁seen ▁as