Kinneret not in danger of drying up, expert says – YNET

Winter has come, but scant precipitation raised concerns over the Kinneret’s water levels; Kinneret expert says no alarm necessary: ‘Harsher droughts have taken place before. Low water levels are not harmful and there will be no shortage of drinking water.’
Alexandra Lukash|Published: 29.12.17 , 14:23

Prof. Moshe Gofen, one of Israel’s leading experts on the Kinneret, said there was no cause for alarm regarding expected low precipitation during the winter months, an expectation that has raised concerns the Sea of Galilee was reaching dangerously low levels.

The torrents of rain hitting Israel earlier this week constituted the first rise in the Kinneret’s water level since April.

Prof. Gofen, however, wished to ameliorate concerns on the matter. “The actual danger the Kinneret faces is of a much lower magnitude than is reflected by the national mood surrounding it,” he clarified.

“The Kinneret has seen low levels before, and there’s no harm in it. People think low levels are an irregular, bad situation, but that isn’t the case,” Gofen claimed.

As for the possibility of a shortage in drinking water, he noted, “Israel has no cause for concern as far as a supply of drinking water is concerned. The country’s drinking water is supplied not by the Kinneret, but through desalinization.”

Farmers, however, should be concerned according to the limnology—or the study of inland water—expert. “Now that there’s no rain, no water is coming in and the concentration of salinity goes up, which decreases the possibility of using water to cultivate agriculture.”

When asked what the possible solution is, Gofen said, “One will come from the heavens, while the other from water. You can’t desalinate the waters of the Mediterranean and pump them into the Kinneret, but longer, harder droughts have taken place before and the Kinneret did not dry up.”

“There’s nothing to fear with the sea’s level going down. The Kinneret’s future is assured—it exists and will continue to exist,” he concluded on an optimistic tone.

The Sea of Galilee nevertheless will not be brought good tidings by the coming days’ weather, with little to no rain in the forecast over the weekend.

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5063673,00.html
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Sinking Kinneret to get infusion of desalinated water – Jerusalem Post

By JTA
December 19, 2017

With Israel apparently approaching a fifth-consecutive dry year, the Kinneret has dropped to dangerously low levels.

The state’s Water Authority recently started work on the $300 million project, which will take about two years to complete, Israel’s Channel 2 news reported Monday.

With Israel apparently approaching a fifth-consecutive dry year, the Kinneret has dropped to dangerously low levels. This has increased the lake’s salinity and harmed the quality of the water, which constitutes a quarter of Israel’s potable supply.

The Water Authority is also overseeing projects to pump out saltwater from the lake in order to maintain its potability. The authority says it is extracting about 17,000 tons of salt each year.

In October, the Water Authority warned that the Sea of Galilee was at a dangerously low level and expected to reach “the lowest level ever recorded.”

The project could lead to a rise in national water tariffs.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sinking-Kinneret-to-get-infusion-of-desalinated-water-518501