Innovated Management Design of Lake Kinnere (Israel) and its Drainage Basin

Abstract

During the last 80 years, the Lake Kinneret and its Drainage Basin ecosystems have undergone significant anthropogenic and natural modifications. Man made operations in the drainage basin and in the lake, accompanied by natural climatic conditions, resulted in modifications of the ecosystem structure. Old lake Hula and swamps were dredged and were being converted for agricultural development. Years later, the partial land utilization was modified, in an operation, referred to as the Hula Project operation. Twenty years later, several improvements for the Hula Project structure are suggested. Regimes of nutrient inputs into Lake Kinneret were changed by a decline in Nitrogen influx. Air and epilimnetic water temperature increase, as well as change of the nutrients composition. The lake ecosystem was shifted from P to N limitation. The phytoplankton and fish communities in the lake, were respectively modified. There were enhancements in N₂-Fixing Cyano-bacteria and Bleak fishes beside the partial decline of tilapias. The impact of Albedo and ENSO (EL-NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION) factors is indicated. A combined impact of the natural and anthropogenic parameters are involved. An innovation in the management design within the lake, and the drainage basin ecosystems are suggested: 1: Cutoff of beach vegetation along 20% of the shoreline length enabling public recreation; 2: Intensification of Bleak and improvement of Tilapias fisheries aimed at both, the fishers’ income and the water quality improvement; 3) Slight changes in the Hula Project structure.