Operational management and its watershed

Abstract

This chapter places Lake Kinneret in the framework of the Israeli national water sector as one of its principal water sources and an important storage reservoir that provides about 20-30% of the country’s freshwater supply. The lake is Israel’s only surface freshwater source and reservoir. It resides within a 2,730 km2 watershed, 25% of which is outside Israel’s borders. The watershed is populated and contains urban, agricultural, and minor industrial activities, which produce a variety of nutrient and pollution loads that endanger water quality in the lake. The 2012 Long-Term Master Plan for the National Water Sector states the dual role that the lake is to play in the national water policy: to be a source of freshwater supply and to provide environmental services, noting that ecological health of the lake is an essential condition for both. This chapter outlines the policy, decision-making process, monitoring program, the organizational structure, and the management frameworks of Lake Kinneret and its watershed that sustain these roles of the lake. The major lake and watershed management actions implemented during the last 4 decades are detailed with their possible impact on the lake’s water quality. It is concluded that ongoing and expanded lake and watershed management are promising means for maintaining a healthy ecological system and improved water quality in Lake Kinneret.