**2. Background**

### **2.1 The Lake Kinneret watershed**

Lake Kinneret watershed is part of the Northern segment of the Syrian-African great rift Valley. The Lake Kinneret Watershed area (2730 km2 , of which 73% is an Israeli territory), from Kinarot Valley in the south to Upper Galilee (northeastern Israel) and southern Anti-Lebanon in Lebanon is 110 km long [1–4]. The Total area of the Kinneret drainage basin is 2730 km2 . It is divided into sub- units: (1) *Northern*: The River Jordan drainage; (2) *Eastern*: The southern part of the Golan Heights; (3) *Western*: The drainage area of Tzalmon and Amud rivers; (4) *South-Eastern and South-Western* minor sections. Versatile vegetations cover, soil and geological formations characterized the Kinneret watershed. Surface mean slope of the Kinneret Watershed is 2.8%. The following major events during the Anthropocene period were: The Lake Kinneret South Dam construction; The drainage of Old Lake Hula and swamps resulted a change of the regional Hydrological conditions; Regional population emigration and immigration; Governmental resolution of Lake Kinneret as major source for water supply and the construction of the National Water Carrier (NWC). These achievements established the long-term national policy of land use and water supply and geo-political boundary [3].

### **2.2 Regional hydrology**

Three major headwater rivers (Hatzbani, Banyas and Dan) flow southerly downstream from the Hermon mountain region [2, 3, 5–11]. The Hula drainage changed the hydrological conditions: Jordan river crossing the Hula Valley splitting into two canals which joint at the south end of the Hula Valley flowing southerly downstream into Lake Kinneret maintains its Water Level (WL). Long-term (1926-present) record of WL daily monitor indicates maximal amplitude of 6.67 m (208.20–214.87 MBSL). The upper limited legislation of WL (208.8 mbvsl) was aimed at prevention of damage to previously constructed housing. The lower limit is flexibly affected by the location of the intake of the NWC (215 mbsl) and precaution of water quality impact. Since 1972 the hydrological management of the entire headwater resources was achieved by precipitation range, national water demands and NWC capacities and obviously by the south dam operation. [3]. Maximal lake water storage was achieved by close Dam limited by WL altitude. These were the management rules when 60% of national domestic water supply were originated from the Kinneret. Nevertheless, ecosystem sustainability aimed at water quality, mainly salinity, might be threatened if dam is closed and major withdraw is done through NWC [1–3, 5, 12]. Before Dam construction nutrient rich winter inflows crossed the lake through the upper water layers due to their higher temperature than that of the Epilimnion and naturally flew out through an open outlet. After Dam

**123**

**Table 1.**

*Israeli agricultural land use (km2*

*Sustainable Utilization of the Lake Kinneret and Its Watershed Ecosystems: A Review*

construction (1933) the outflow became human controlled aimed at water storing, and enhancement of salt and pollutants removal [1–3, 5, 12]. The final decision was a combination of actual conditions: precipitation-discharge range, desalinized

The territorial part of Israel within the Kinneret watershed is 2000 km<sup>2</sup>

The total legislated water consumption for agriculture and domestic usage (source: National water authority) indicates the following: Until late 1990's it was

m3

How does agricultural management accept such constraints of natural drought and the followed legislation of water supply restriction? The answer was given in [15]: During 20 years (1990–2010) the efficiency of water utilization aimed at the beneficial revenue of agricultural production increased from 41,100 to 81,420 US\$

Before Hula Drainage the Valley was mostly (6500 ha) covered by natural wetlands (Peat soil) and old Lake Hula (1300 ha), Hula drainage, converted natural wetland into agricultural land [7, 15, 17, 19]. It was an infrastructure development for an agricultural income source for the local immigrated residents. Between 1960 and 1990 the Peat-Land area cultivation has yielded economically sufficient products. Nevertheless, contributed nutrient to Lake Kinneret threatened its water quality. It was resulted by inappropriate irrigation methods. The outcome was peat soil destruction and subsidence, dust storms which blocked the drainage canals, underground fires and rodent population outbreaks. Agricultural crops were damaged and Kineret water quality became threatened. A reclamation

**Type of land cover Area (km2)** Field Crops 180 Orchards 197 Fishponds, reservoirs, Agmon, Lake Kinneret 171 Natural Forest and Grove 266 Not Cultivated land 1067 Other 111 Total 1992

*) in the Kinneret watershed as documented in 2004.*

irrigation: 42% -grooves' 48% - field crops, 7% -fish ponds, and 1% - human domestic supply. Later on, restriction was instructed to 85 mcm/y and further to 68 mcm/y were implemented with additional supply from Lake Kinneret to the Golan

per ha. It was the result of improvement of agricultural technology.

**2.5 Land use land cover modifications in the Hula Valley**

. The agricultural land use in the Kinneret watershed

) per year of which 99% for agricultural

which is

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93727*

**2.3 Land use**

73% of the total of 2730 km<sup>2</sup>

**2.4 Water consumption**

area is given in **Table 1** [3, 7, 13–15].

ranged between 100 and 120 mcm (106

Heights of 19 mcm/y [8, 9] (**Tables 2** and **3**).

water volume availabilities and lake water quality.

construction (1933) the outflow became human controlled aimed at water storing, and enhancement of salt and pollutants removal [1–3, 5, 12]. The final decision was a combination of actual conditions: precipitation-discharge range, desalinized water volume availabilities and lake water quality.
