Israel to Declare Drought as Sea of Galilee Barely Rises - Israel Today Staff

Israel to Declare Drought as Sea of Galilee Barely Rises

Thursday, February 04, 2016 |  Israel Today Staff

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Topics:

Water

The Israel Water Authority (IWA) has determined that Israel is suffering from yet another year of drought, the third in a row, after the Sea of Galilee (known locally as the Kinneret) rose by only a fraction of its typical winter increase.

The IWA reported that this winter has been one of the worst on record in terms of rainfall. As a result, the Kinneret has risen a mere 22 centimeters (8.66 inches) this winter.

In a year of average rainfall, the Kinneret rises by about 1.6 meters (63 inches). With the relatively dry weather expected to continue in February and March, Israel’s primary fresh water reservoir will be woefully understocked for the parched summer months.

Even with average rainfall, the Kinneret still sits many meters below its optimal water level due to a previous seven-year drought that only ended in 2013.

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