The water level of the Kinneret rose a further 83 centimeters in March to 211.5 meters below sea level, and 2.70 meters below the upper red line. The water level has risen by 1.86 meters since the start of the winter rainy season on October 1.
The volume of available water in the Kinneret reached 147 million cubic meters in March, well above the multiyear average for the month, and the highest in nine years.
According to the Water Authority, at the end of the rainy season, the Coastal Aquifer's water volume is 32 million cubic meters of water above the red line, but it still has a shortfall of 1.26 billion cubic meters; the Yarkon-Taninim Aquifer's volume is 107 million cubic meters of water above the red line, but it still has a shortfall of 343 million cubic meters; and the Kinneret's volume is 137 million cubic meters of water above the lower red line, but it still has a shortfall of 578 million cubic meters.
The total water volume in Israel's three primary water sources is 276 million cubic meters, but there is still a shortfall 2.18 billion cubic meters. The water level in many parts of the southern and central Coastal Aquifer is still below their red lines.
As of early April, precipitation was 103% of the multiyear average. Rainfall over the Kinneret basin was 107% of the multiyear average, it was 110% of multiyear average in the western Galilee, 106% of multiyear average over the Coastal Aquifer, and 98% of multiyear average over the Yarkin-Taninim Aquifer.
Israel's total available water is 369 million cubic meters, well above the multiyear average.
The water level of the Dead Sea continues to fall, however, reaching 425.8 meters below sea level on April 1, six centimeters lower than a month earlier, and 72 centimeters less than at the beginning of the year.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 5, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012