Drought Causes Drop in Sea of Galilee's Water Level
The Sea of Galilee is Israel's largest single source of freshwater, but a sharp drop in rainfall the past three years has caused the Biblical lake's waters to recede. Officials said the lake's water level is at its lowest but will not dry up unless Israel is hit with a decades-long drought.
"The Kinneret level's location under the red line toward the end of the rainy season is an unusual situation that has not occurred in about a decade," the Water Authority said. The agency's Amir Givati gave a specific number of 20 centimeters below the red line, the lowest level in five years.
Another black line, when breached, means permanent damage is caused to the area. Givati blamed the regional drought affecting the entire Middle East for the phenomenon. The sea received only 10 percent of its average rainfall on February, Times of Israel reported.
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The Sea of Galilee has provided up to a third of Israel's water requirement. Last year, though, the Water Authority reduced its pumping activities to only 10 percent of the annual average quantity, forcing it to rely on the more expensive methods of recycling more than half of the water supply.
Five seawater desalination plants draw water from the Mediterranean coast.
"A project to supply this entire part of northern Israel is under construction," Givati told Catholic Online, referring to a desalination plant being objected to by residents of Galilee.
Aside from drinking water, low water level affects agriculture, wildlife and the environment. Subterranean saltwater springs run beneath the lake. Pressure from the freshwater prevents saltwater from entering the surface. If the water level drops too much, the saltwater will mix with the fresh, making the entire lake unusable. To maintain its quality, the Water Authority does the complex task of finding the saltwater streams and diverting them out of the lake. It also stocks the lake with millions of fish every year.
