Kinneret water level rises one cm. after weekend rains, remains 39 cm. below last year's height
Water Authority spokesperson Itay Dudi said approximately 20 millimeters of rain fell over the lake during the weekend, while the flow of the Jordan River stood at six cubic meters per second.
Over the weekend, Israel's Kinneret water level saw a minuscule one-centimeter increase due to heavy rainfall, standing at 213.70 meters below sea level on Sunday, the Water Authority reported. Despite the recent rise, the lake remains 39 centimeters lower than the same period last year, the spokesperson Itay Dudi disclosed. The rainfall amounted to approximately 20 millimeters during the weekend, with the Jordan River's discharge at a relatively insignificant six cubic meters per second.
Dudi emphasized that most of the rain fell on Israel's coastal plain, especially in the south. Over the past decade, only three winters have seen worse conditions; a decade ago, the water level was 3 centimeters higher than the present. The current level marks one of the lowest recorded for November 8 over the past ten years. In 2017, the level was 58 centimeters lower than today, while in 2018, it was 94 centimeters lower.
The Kinneret's water levels were impacted by disruptions in desalination plants in September, when these facilities were forced to pump more water from the lake to maintain the country's supply. This led to a 10-centimeter drop in the lake's level, bringing it to 213.50 meters below sea level on September 9, the lowest on that date since 2018.
The disruptions temporarily reversed Israel's recent efforts to manage the lake, as the Reverse National Water Carrier project had previously transferred desalinated water into the reservoir. By September 10, all six desalination plants had resumed operations, with only the Hadera facility operating at full capacity.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
