Syria has also built reservoirs that catch the Yarmouk's waters. These acts resulted in great damage to the ecosystem. In the same year, Jordan constructed a channel that diverted water from the Yarmouk River, another main tributary of the Jordan River. In 1964 Israel began operating a dam that diverts water from the Sea of Galilee, a major Jordan River water provider, to the national water carrier. The Jordan Valley is fed by rains falling on the neighboring plateaus, through the wadi system which flow through the valley. The Hula Valley receives approximately 22 inches (550 millimeters) of rainfall per year, but only about 3 inches (75 millimeters) fall north of the Dead Sea. It is much lower than its surrounding landscape, with steep, sheer, bare walls. The Jordan Valley itself is long and narrow, averaging only 6 miles (10 kilometers) in width. The Jordan Valley runs north-south, forming part of the Great Rift Valley which extends four thousand miles from northern Syria to central Mozambique in East Africa. The waters of the Jordan are an extremely important resource to the dry lands of the area and have been a source of conflict between Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Palestine.
All the shallow waters of the southern end of the sea have been drained in modern times and are now salt flats. Because of this and the high evaporation rate of the Dead Sea, the sea is shrinking. In modern times the waters are 70 to 90 percent used for human purposes and the flow is much reduced. Irrigation waters often leave a salt residue in the soil. There is also a high concentration of gypsum. The River's high degree of salinity is due to the existence of thermal springs, mainly in the Tiberias region on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. It is unnavigable due to its precipitous upper course, its seasonal flow, and its shallow, twisting lower course. Its current is swift, carrying a heavy load of silt. The Jordan River is shallow, with its high-water period lasting from January to March, while its low-water period occurs at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Northern part of the Great Rift Valley as seen from space (NASA) The Yabis River, from the left bank of the Sea of Galilee.The Harod River, which joins on the right bank of the Sea of Galilee.The Yarmouk River, which begins near the Golan Heights and flows to the Jordan River.The Ayoun River, which flows from Lebanon.The Dan River, whose source is also at the base of Mount Hermon.The Baniyas River, which rises from a spring at Banias at the foot of Mount Hermon.The Hasbani River, which flows from Lebanon.After flowing through the Zur, the Jordan drains into the Dead Sea through a broad, gently sloping delta. Dams were built along the river in the Zur region, turning the former thickets of reeds, tamarisk, willows, and white poplars into irrigated fields. These form a maze of ravines alternating with sharp crests and rises.įrom this point, Jordan's floodplain, the Zur sees a widely winding course, which accounts for the excessive length of the river flow in comparison to the area it traverses to reach the Dead Sea. This area of terraces is known as the Ghawr (or Ghar) and is cut by wadis or rivers into towers, pinnacles and badlands. The southern end of the valley has a basaltic barrier which the Jordan has cut a gorge through.įrom the Sea of Galilee (the point at which the main tributaries join together), the river's plain spreads to a width of approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers). In the 1950s, 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) were drained and transformed into agricultural land. The Hula Valley plain was once lake and marshland. The Hula Valley in northern Israel is the intersection point for the source rivers, which then join and form the Jordan River. The Dan River, which begins and flows inside Israel.The Hasbani River, the longest of the three rises near Hasbayya in Lebanon.The Jordan River rises at the foot of Mount Hermon from three principal sources: There are countless references to the Jordan in both the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, yet perhaps its most significant is as the location of the baptism of Jesus Christ. Historically and religiously, the Jordan River is considered to be one of the world's most sacred rivers.
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