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Water, the Golan and the Sea of Galilee
Michelle Stirling-Anosh
When you look at a map of Israel, two things stand out - the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Funny how in a semi-arid country, water seems to be a visible and large part of the overall picture. In fact the relative size of the "Sea" of Galilee only shows how small Israel is, for the "sea" is nothing more than a small lake which is one third the surface size of California's Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is also 1,654 ft. deep. The "Sea" of Galilee is only 150 feet deep - the depth of 8 Olympic diving pools stacked one upon the other. This tiny pond is supposed to supply all of the 6 million citizens of Israel with high quality, fresh drinking water, agricultural and irrigation water. Today, the "Sea" is being called upon to also supplement water supplies to Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. And today, the Syrians are demanding possession of the headwaters of the Sea of Galilee as part of a potential peace deal, yet most of the Sea of Galilee's water sources are located in the Golan Heights. From the point of view of many experts, there is a serious danger to regional environments and water quality in turning the Golan Heights, the valuable source of the Sea's supply, over to Syria - a nation which has repeatedly violated International Water Treaties with Jordan and Turkey, and which, according to the CIA's World Fact Book, has a serious problem with domestic water contamination and inappropriate water use.
Facts from the Israel Nature Reserves and National Parks AuthorityThe Sea of GalileeThe "Sea" of Galilee gets approximately 900 million cubic meters of water from rainfall, spring waters, streams and winter run-off every year, according to Hillel Glassman, of the Israel Nature Reserves and National Parks Authority*. About 30% of this evaporates, since the Sea of Galilee is located in a deep bowl some -689 ft. below sea level, where summer temperatures sit at about 40?C for at least 2 months of the year. A 100 million cubic meters are pumped to the city of Tiberias and the surrounding villages near the Sea of Galilee for drinking and for agricultural purposes in the area. Presently, another 50 million cubic meters goes to Jordan as part of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty, and the National Water Carrier of Israel distributes a remaining ?450 million cu. m. to the rest of the country. What remains in the Sea below the 'red line' is sufficient to carry the indigenous aquatic life, fishing industry and recreational activities of Israelis and to maintain sufficient quality of water for drinking and agriculture. Until the next winter's rainfall... Unlike most of Europe and North America, there is no rain in Israel between the months of April and October - and temperatures soar to the +40?C in July and August.
The Sea of Galilee sits on the Syrian/African fault line and is surrounded by steep craggy hills on all sides. Those hills to the east and north are known as the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights are a unique 'geomorphological formation' - that is to say, they are largely made up of a deep layer of volcanic basalt, resting on a layer of ancient limestone chalk. The topography of the region rises steadily up from -689 ft. below sea level to +3,600 ft. above sea level at Mount Bental to the north east - and even higher in the north at Mount Hermon to 9,232 ft. The Golan is just 15 miles across and about 50 miles long, so the watershed grade is extreme.
Basalt is a poor aquifer. It does not retain water, and due to the extreme slant of the land on the Golan Heights, the winter rains gush down the slopes, flooding mainly into the small streams of the Yehudia, Meshushim, and Daliot. These feeder streams flood into a large encachement basin of some 400 sq. km. (or 1/3 of the Golan Heights total area) which begins as high up as the community of Allone HaBashan near the Syrian border, and in a kind of triangle formation, sweeps down to the north east edge of the Sea of Galilee. This encachement basin gathers about ½ of the annual rainfall of the Golan. The power and volume of the rushing water during a good rainy winter can be clearly seen by the incredibly deep canyons, cut over the course of time, down through the basalt layer and into the softer limestone. Some of the Golan Heights 'wadis' or canyons are as deep as 600 ft.
Presently, the borderline between Syria and Israel sits at approximately the edge of the natural watershed. To the east of the Bashanit Range (which separates Israel from Kuneitra and the plain below) is a steep natural drop off. On the Syrian side, the Roked River and the tributaries to the Yarmuk River, flow in opposite directions to the watershed on the Golan Heights.
Israel has some of the toughest environmental laws in the world, though it is not known for their enforcement in the industrialized heart of the country. The Golan Heights is a completely different story.
After the Six Day War in 1967 when Israel took possession of the Golan Heights, it found the land, water resources and wildlife to be undeveloped and unprotected. Though there had been some Syrian settlements, land cultivation was manual and done on small plots of land. There was no sewer infrastructure. Much of the territory had been mined. All of the wild deer had been hunted to extinction. Many other wild species had been hopelessly depleted.
Parts of the Golan Heights level off into high flat plains or sierras, featuring natural wild grasses suitable for pasturing range cattle; parts of those plains also feature ideal weather conditions for the cultivation of grapes, pear and apple orchards, and mountain berry crops.
The big problem related to settling the Golan all turned upon water supply and conservation and environmental protection. To ensure that these key water sources (and subsequently the Sea of Galilee) would not be contaminated by human or animal waste, modern sewer infrastructures were immediately built wherever communities were established. Supply was a more difficult problem. Initially, the Israeli government attempted to pump water up from the Sea of Galilee to the few first settlements for human and agricultural use. However pumping from -689 ft. below sea level to some +900 ft. above proved to be a very costly venture, energy-wise. By 1970's, hydrologists were surveying the Golan in an attempt to record and design a suitable water encachement system which would make use of the natural rainfalls, runoffs and gradients on the Heights. By this time the Israel Nature Reserves and National Parks Authority had also entered the picture with concerns for the wildlife and natural water flows.
The hydrologists pinpointed locations where natural basins existed (such as the volcanic basin and natural lake of Birkat Ram in the far northern Golan) and devised methods of using them to simply gather and hold more water. In 11 other locations special dams were built to create artificial reservoirs. Together, these units today retain 30-40 million cubic meters of reserve water. Some of this water is used locally by the 36,000 Golan residents, but keeping this water from running into the Sea of Galilee is an important way of saving much of it from simple evaporation. The temperature difference between the upper Golan Heights and the basin of the Sea of Galilee can easily be 15?C! Due to the fact that most of the reservoirs are located on the upper Heights, virtually no energy is consumed in distributing it to local users. The cost of the construction of these dams and reservoirs is in the millions of shekels and probably millions of dollars, but a critical water reserve was established for this semi-arid country. At the same time, the environment and endangered species were protected, and the high quality of the fresh water which pours into the Sea of Galilee was ensured.
The Israel Nature Reserves Authority was concerned for the condition of biospheres, ecological systems and endangered species. One of the first things the Israel Nature Reserves Authorities did was to re-stock the wild deer population and to mark out some 246 sq. km. of Nature Reserves. Then, working hand in hand with the government Water Authorities, special plans were made to protect the unique habitats of the Golan's streams. The Golan Heights is one of the few places in Israel where there are such fresh water streams running year round, uncontaminated by human, agricultural or industrial waste. The 52 meter high Gamla water fall is the largest perennial waterfall in the country and is home to many species of birds of prey. Overall, the region is noted for its unique water side vegetation, indigenous fish species, endangered animal species and endangered and migratory bird populations. (Israel is a major migratory flight path.) The first priority of the Israel Nature Reserves Authorities, in working on the reservoir/dam projects, was to ensure that all streams maintained a steady annual flow, despite being dammed. Special outlets were built into the dams, and in two cases, around the dam, to ensure that fresh water kept flowing. Monitoring stations were set up downstream from all dams to evaluate the impact on wildlife, flora and fauna. Particular attention was paid to ensuring that overflow from a reservoir was directed ONLY to the stream below it and not redistributed to other reservoirs. This maintained the chemical make-up of the water and ensured a semi-natural pattern of flow. In some locations, there was a negative effect noted within the first few hundred meters of the dam. Unfortunately, in those locations, the flowing water was sourced from the reservoir bottom which is typically 'anaerobic' (unoxygenated). However, it was found that as the water flowed on, it became naturally aerated by the rocky stream bed. Another unexpected impact noted was that the winter flash floods had a natural 'flushing' effect on the streams, carrying out silt and rocky debris, thus ensuring clear water on a rocky stream bed. By building dams, this natural cleansing was stopped. To solve the problem, the Nature Reserves Authority and hydrologists devised methods of providing for artificial flash floods in winter to maintain this clean-up and to ensure the streams remained oxygenated and that the composition of the biosphere did not change.
The Jordan has earned the name "river" simply because it is one of the few local streams that meets the geomorphological definition according to its accumulation and discharge. However, this 'river' is just 200 miles long, often barely 50 ft. across and in most places, you can wade over it. In summer, it is difficult to float down the Jordan even with an inflatable raft. It's certainly no match for the likes of the Mississippi which is really deep and wide - 1,170 miles long and navigable for most of its length by steamboat! Christian pilgrims are often surprised and disappointed to find out that this holy site is so small and seemingly insignificant. However, in a dry region like the Middle East, the Jordan is the most significant source of fresh water that exists. It is mainly fed by sources at the foot of the Hermon, the Dan, Hazbani, and Banias streams, along with run-off from the Golan Heights through the main tributaries of the Meshushim, Zavitan and Yehudia streams to the east, and other Galilee streams to the west .A few small springs also feed it, however their flow is relatively insignificant because the basalt geography of the Golan Heights is not conducive to the creation of natural springs. The Jordan spills into the Sea of Galilee at the north end of the Sea, and flows out at the south end on its way to the Dead Sea. Along the way, the country of Jordan receives about 50 cu. m. of water from the river/Sea of Galilee.
South of the Sea of Galilee in central Israel and under the West Bank (now areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority) below the rock in the regions of Judea and Samaria, there are significant mountain aquifers. Coastal aquifers lie between Haifa and Gaza. Both supply central Israel and the Palestinian Authority with substantial amounts of water. However, these aquifers have been contaminated over the years by human, animal and industrial pollution, and they have been over-used during drought years when the water table has dropped below recommended pumping levels. The Palestinian Authority's control of much of the mountain aquifer region means that the future quality of this water is in their hands. Unfortunately, as a 'start-up' entity, the Palestinian Authority has many more serious issues to contend with than water conservation, quality or environmental protection. The Palestinian Authority are also seriously under- funded in this department. Israel, having relinquished control of the territories, can only offer to participate in joint projects, but it cannot mandate environmental controls.
Consequently, the only source of fresh, protected, quality water in the region is that
which comes directly from the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon.
Water from Turkey, Desalination In recent months, there has been much talk of alternative solutions to the shortage of water in Israel. Some initiatives suggest that pipelines or tankers could bring fresh water from Turkey. Others suggest that desalination plants could manage the problem. These proposed solutions are only intended to deal with the general water shortages in Israel which are more profound in drought years. They are not intended to replace the fresh water resources of the Golan Heights. The current peace negotiations with Syria propose 'water- sharing', though as noted earlier, there isn't much to share. Israel does have some of the best desalination technology in the world; however desalinated water is no replacement for 'the real thing', and it certainly won't be distributed to the live streams and ponds which depend on fresh water to maintain their eco-systems.
In looking to Turkey or desalination as solutions, once again as a nation and as the human race, members of the great ecological chain of life, we are ignoring the very real necessity to protect and maintain the regional environment - from pollution, depletion, and environmental disaster. According to the CIA World Fact Book about Syria: "The dominant agricultural sector remains underdeveloped, with roughly 80% of agricultural land still dependent on rain-fed sources. Although Syria has sufficient water supplies in the aggregate at normal levels of precipitation, the great distance between major water supplies and population centers poses serious distribution problems. The water problem is exacerbated by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution." Syria has recently proposed that it would move 500,000 Palestinian refugees onto the Golan Heights if it is successful in its bid to negotiate 'land for peace'. It is important to note that Syria is 184,050 sq. km. in size (approximately 8 times the size of Israel) consequently it is incomprehensible that she would want to cram almost 14 times the number of current Israeli residents into a slice of land which is only 1,200 sq. km. in size and which will not have any operable infrastructure, industry or source of livelihood in the event that Israel is forced to leave the Golan. As it is well known that Syria has not protected its own natural resources, nor does it have the multi-million dollars required for the installation of appropriate sewage and water infrastructures to support a population of this size, the outcome would be a regional environmental disaster of catastrophic proportions. In short, the Sea of Galilee would be turned into a giant cesspool overnight.
The wildlife and eco-systems which Israel has so carefully tended and nurtured back to life (wild deer, wild boar, wolves and many varieties of migrating birds now call the Golan 'home') would disappear in no time. Yet who can deny a hungry, uneducated, unpatrolled population an opportunity to eat? Just as the Syrians and their army once hunted the wild deer to extinction, so the proposed incoming Palestinian refugee population could be expected to do the same because their initial needs will be fundamental - food, water, shelter. Even the United States of America, with all her industrial and financial strength, would have trouble providing those basics to any needy group en masse.
Jordan and the Palestinian Authority now rely on fresh water supplies from the Sea of Galilee/Golan Heights encachements. This past summer was a serious drought year wherein the Sea of Galilee was some 4 meters below its regular level. The shortage placed heavy demands on Israel to supply her new peace partners while keeping the peace at home. Agriculture is an integral part of Israel's economy, domestic food supply, export industry and kibbutz/moshav lifestyle. In this hot, sunny climate, even a small amount of water can grow amazing crops, and Israelis have fanatically developed unique 'drip' irrigation systems that maximize every drop of water - yet still there was agricultural rationing in force this year. In the event that Israel cannot supply her own domestic needs and/or cannot meet the terms of her peace treaties with Jordan and the Palestinians, it won't be long before there is big trouble in the Middle East. In the event that Syria contaminates the only sources of fresh water in the region, there would not be any doubt that Israel would be forced to respond - probably militarily. Pollution takes only months, days...sometimes just hours, to destroy irreplaceable natural resources. There is no time to wait or negotiate via international monitoring bodies like the UN.
In light of Syria's economic situation and history of environmental mismanagement, it would be a catastrophic mistake to turn the Golan Heights, with its endangered wildlife and rare, regional water resources, over to a nation which has consistently violated its current International Water Treaties; particularly in light of Syria's plans to densely populate the Golan. The international community wants peace in the Middle East as much as every Israeli wants peace. However, decisions should be made so as to protect the long-term interests of the people of the region and the world; acknowledging the precious and dwindling nature of the fresh water of the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee and its importance to the semi- arid Middle East. Israel does not have the luxury of a Lake Tahoe to draw on in times of drought. According to the "Discover Lake Tahoe" web-site: if you were to take all the water in Lake Tahoe and let it run over the state of California it would cover it at a depth of 14 1/2". On an average day 335,000,000 gallons of water evaporates from Lake Tahoe. That is enough water to supply the daily requirement of water to 3,500,000 people.** We should be so lucky. The "Sea" of Galilee is only 150 feet deep - the depth of 8 Olympic diving pools stacked one upon the other. That's why we all need to look before we leap into 'peace' with Syria. Factual information about the Golan Heights water systems was provided to the author by Mr. Hillel Glassman, Manager of the Stream Monitoring Unit, Department of Environmental Monitoring, Israel Nature Reserves and National Parks Authority. Information about Syria's environmental management record was drawn from the CIA World Fact Book web-site and various publications. The summary opinions are those of the author alone. **excerpt from "Discover Lake Tahoe" web-site
(Michelle Stirling-Anosh is a writer/researcher and TV producer who lives in Had Nes, 70
meters below sea level, just above the Sea of Galilee in the Golan Heights, Israel.)
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