Kinneret levels rising due to increased rainfall in Israel
Due to the high levels of rain the past several years, in addition to this winter's rain, the Kinneret water level is 3.055 meters above the lower red line level.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFDugit Beach Kinneret(photo credit: ITZIK LEVY/KINNERET CITIES ASSOCIATION)
With the recent rains this week, the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) sea levels rose by 1 cm according to the Kinneret Cities Association.As of now the Kinneret sea levels stand at 209.945 meters below sea level, which is 1.145 meters short of the upper red line of the Kinneret, according to the Israel Water Authority (IWA).Due to the high levels of rain the past several years, in addition to this winter's rain, the Kinneret sea level is 3.055 meters above the lower red line level.For the past two years, the Kinneret has enjoyed rising sea levels, however there have been short heat waves in Israel during the winter affecting the water levels.The IWA stated back in April that if the sea levels were to continue rising, the Degania Dam would need to be opened to divert water to the Jordan River. The last time the dam was opened was in 2013.Though the Kinneret has experienced heavy rainfalls in the last couple of years, the IWA has not been ready to open the dam as of yet. There is a hope that since the Kinneret rain levels have been on the rise for the past several years there is a possibility that the Dam will be opened this year in April, which depends how Israel's rainfall will be this winter. Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.
