Israel's largest water storage reservoir now stands at 210.34 meters below sea level, 2 2/3 meters higher than the minimum level permitted.
Another 1.54 meters of height is needed to reach the optimum level, and this is considered a realistic goal at this relatively early date of the rainy season. Each centimeter of height represents some 1.7 million cubic meters of water; Israelis consume a rough average of 5 million cubic meters a day.
Once the sea reaches the maximum height, the dams must be opened so as to prevent flooding of Tiberias and Ein Gev.
The Kinneret, Israel's only sweet water lake in Israel, supplies about a third of Israel's water needs. The remainder is supplied by the mountain aquifer in Judea and Samaria and by the coastal aquifer, just off the Mediterranean coast. Depending on the year, each of the three sources supplies an approximately equal amount of water.
The rains in Israel continue, and another 40 centimeters could be added to the Kinneret in the coming week. It has rained practically non-stop for the past 48 hours in the north, and brooks have overflowed their banks in some areas.
Some 80 centimeters of snow have piled up on Mt. Hermon in the past few days, and it may also snow elsewhere in the north later this week. Snow in Jerusalem is considered a long-shot at this point.
Another 1.54 meters of height is needed to reach the optimum level, and this is considered a realistic goal at this relatively early date of the rainy season. Each centimeter of height represents some 1.7 million cubic meters of water; Israelis consume a rough average of 5 million cubic meters a day.
Once the sea reaches the maximum height, the dams must be opened so as to prevent flooding of Tiberias and Ein Gev.
The Kinneret, Israel's only sweet water lake in Israel, supplies about a third of Israel's water needs. The remainder is supplied by the mountain aquifer in Judea and Samaria and by the coastal aquifer, just off the Mediterranean coast. Depending on the year, each of the three sources supplies an approximately equal amount of water.
The rains in Israel continue, and another 40 centimeters could be added to the Kinneret in the coming week. It has rained practically non-stop for the past 48 hours in the north, and brooks have overflowed their banks in some areas.
Some 80 centimeters of snow have piled up on Mt. Hermon in the past few days, and it may also snow elsewhere in the north later this week. Snow in Jerusalem is considered a long-shot at this point.