A Review on an Open Management Dilemma of Lake Kinneret Dam, Israel

Significant modifications of ecological and anthropogenic processes were documented along the historical record of the Kinneret-watershed ecosystems: Climate change, including air temperature fluctuations; decline of rainfall regime, sporadic occurrence of droughts accompanied by river (Jordan and others) discharges reduction and the subterranean flows in the Hula Valley were followed, by high amplitude of Lake Water Level (WL) variations. The lake and its drainage basin are two ecologically related parts of one ecosystem and are influenced both by natural and anthropogenic parameters. Regional trends of climate change and dryness process (SPI, Standard Precipitation Index enhancement) expressed as precipitation decline, air and lake water temperature increase, river discharges and lake input volumes restriction and consequently decline of WL and water availability for domestic and agricultural supply and elongation of RT duration, increase of Lake water salinity, Epilimnetic Nitrogen deficiency and Phosphorus sufficiency enhanced replacement of Peridinium by cyanobacterial biomass.