**2.3 Land use**

*Landscape Architecture - Processes and Practices Towards Sustainable Development*

functionality is presented in this paper.

**2.1 The Lake Kinneret watershed**

of the Kinneret drainage basin is 2730 km2

and water supply and geo-political boundary [3].

**2.2 Regional hydrology**

**2. Background**

and international concerns as sources for water supply, agricultural development, commercial fishery and aquaculture, territorial land for living (population dispersal), and more. During the last 80 years, natural and anthropogenic modification were accurately carried out over these ecosystems and consequent management operations were implemented aimed at efficient utilization of the natural resources of land and water while ecosystems sustainability will be preserved. A survey of the history and implementation of achievements which accompanied the ecological modifications in lake Kinneret and its watershed to ensure undamaged and sustainable ecosystem

Lake Kinneret watershed is part of the Northern segment of the Syrian-African

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

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

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

, of which 73% is an

. It is divided into sub- units: (1) *Northern*:

great rift Valley. The Lake Kinneret Watershed area (2730 km2

**122**

The territorial part of Israel within the Kinneret watershed is 2000 km<sup>2</sup> which is 73% of the total of 2730 km<sup>2</sup> . The agricultural land use in the Kinneret watershed area is given in **Table 1** [3, 7, 13–15].
