Reverse water carrier set to begin pumping into Sea of Galilee, three years after completion

Three years after construction was completed and the reverse water carrier – designed to transfer desalinated water via the National Water Carrier to the Sea of Galilee – was inaugurated, the project is set to be activated for the first time this coming October, Kan News reported Tuesday.

Due to severe drought and less than half the average rainfall in the Sea of Galilee’s drainage basin, the water level is now just 60 centimeters (nearly 24 inches) above the lower red line.

As a result of the dry year and a steady drop in the Sea of Galilee’s level – about 1 cm per day due to natural evaporation and pumping – the famous island opposite Ma'agan Beach has reemerged, rising above the water line about 50 meters (164 feet) from the shore. The island is a sign of the lake’s currently low water level.

Drone footage shows that the island is already covered in vegetation and birds have begun nesting there. The last time the island was visible was in 2020, following five dry years.

Idan Greenbaum, Chairman of the Kinneret Cities Association, said: “The island’s reappearance is proof of the dry winter we’ve had and the harsh drought year we’re going through. It highlights the fact that the water sources feeding the Sea of Galilee are depleting. Alongside our hopes and prayers for a rainy winter next year, we are preparing for the 'reverse flow' project and expect all involved parties to mobilize and rapidly establish additional desalination facilities, so that through them we can refill the Sea of Galilee in the future.”