Kinneret up 5 cm after heavy weekend rains

Kinneret Photo: Shlomi Yosef
Kinneret Photo: Shlomi Yosef

Despite the opening of desalination plants, the Kinneret still supplies between 25% and 33% of Israel's water needs.

Since the heavy rains that began falling in Israel on Thursday, the level of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) has risen by five centimeters to 214.61 meters below sea level. Nevertheless, the Kinneret remains only 26 centimeters above the 'black line,' below which it would not be possible to pump out any more water.

The highest level of the Kinneret ever recorded, since records began being kept in the 1920s, was 208.20 meters below sea level in 1969, while the lowest level of 214.87 meters was recorded in 2001. Even though the level of the Kinneret has not fallen below the legal minimum, there is still a concern that the water will become brackish.

Despite the opening of five desalination plants along Israel's Mediterranean coast, the Kinneret still supplies between 25% and 33% of Israel's water needs.

In 2011, a complete ban on fishing in the Kinneret was imposed in the hope of replenishing the fish in the lake.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on December 9, 2018

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2018

Kinneret Photo: Shlomi Yosef
Kinneret Photo: Shlomi Yosef
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