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Kinneret Water Levels Reach 16-Year High

The Sea of Galilee, located in northern Israel, is the Jewish state’s largest source of freshwater. The lake’s water levels are measured daily, and according to officials, reached a record high of 686.6 feet this week. This marks the highest level recorded at the lake since July 2004, nearly 16 years ago. The lake’s water levels may see a further increase, due to melting snow from mountains in the Golan Heights. This could create a major flood risk for the surrounding communities, in which case, authorities plan to open an emergency dam that will divert water from the Sea of Galilee to the Jordan River. This development comes as a surprise after years of dangerously low water levels in the lake. One Water Authority official said, “We get less and less rain on average in recent years, and before last year there were five years of severe drought, mainly in the north and the Sea of Galilee.” In 2018, Israel's Water Authority was concerned about the Sea of Galilee’s perilously low water levels. At that time, the lake was near the “black line,” the level at which low quality, silty water begins. (VFI News)