Despite Rain, a Dry Winter for the Kinneret
Recent local rainshowers have not been enough to save the Kinneret, one of Israel's major sources of fresh water, from dangerously low water levels. The surface of the lake remains 213.97 meters below sea level, just 15 centimeters higher than it was at its lowest point in the past year.
The rise in water from October to January has been the lowest in the past 20 years, with the exception of the 2007-08 drought, according to Water Authority experts.
At more than 213 meters below sea level, the lake is still below the “red line,” below which it is risky to draw water. However, it is above the “black line,” below which the lake could be permanently damaged by an influx of salt water from underground springs.
Water levels have stayed steady even as the Water Authority temporarily stopped drawing water from the lake in order to repair infrastructure.
Rains came later than usual this year, arriving only in early December. Several fast days and special prayer sessions aimed at beseeching G-d for rain were held in the weeks prior to the first rainfall.