Rosh HaAyin springs
Encyclopedia
Rosh HaAyin springs, also called the Yarkon springs are springs
located at the foot of Tel Afek
, in the Yarkon National Park which was established in the region that surrounds the springs. These springs are one of the water resources of the Yarkon River. Until the 20th century, the water of the Rosh HaAyin springs flew into the Yarkon River, but nowadays most of the water of the Rosh HaAyin springs is used in various irrigation
projects and do not reach the Yarkon River.
At the beginning of the 1950s Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
encouraged the Jewish settlement of the Negev
region. As a result he ordered the establishment of the Yarkon-Negev water pipeline. Three motors of old American destroyer
s from the Second World War were converted into water pumps and were used to extract the water of the Yarkon River. Those pumps were buried under an armored hill in region of kibbutz Givat HaShlosha
. The reason for the armoring of the water pumps was that the border with Jordan was located only 3 kilometers from the Yarkon springs and there was concern that the Jordanian Legion might shell the water pumps, thus putting a halt to the water supply of the Negev. The Yarkon-Negev pipeline was inaugurated in 1955 and in 1964 it was combined with the national water carrier system
.
During the 1960s
the Yarkon-Negev pipeline drew about 90 percent of the water from the Yarkon River towards the residents of Tel Aviv and the residents of southern Israel. As a result, the flow of the river deteriorated down to 500 cubic meters an hour and at times the flow of the river completely stopped and the river channel began to clog and become a sanitary nuisance.
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
located at the foot of Tel Afek
Tel Afek
Tel Afek, , also spelled Aphek, is an archaeological site located in the coastal hinterland of the Ein Afek Nature Reserve, east of Kiryat Bialik, Israel....
, in the Yarkon National Park which was established in the region that surrounds the springs. These springs are one of the water resources of the Yarkon River. Until the 20th century, the water of the Rosh HaAyin springs flew into the Yarkon River, but nowadays most of the water of the Rosh HaAyin springs is used in various irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
projects and do not reach the Yarkon River.
Utilization of the springs' water
In 1930s the British authorities in Palestine searched for an additional major water resource for the evolving city of Jerusalem. Two options were examined at the time: the Jordan River the Yarkon River. The Jordan River is closer to Jerusalem but located at a much lower altitude than the Yarkon River and in order to bring the water up to the peaks of Jerusalem a relatively complex technology would be needed to be used, therefore the British authorities decided to opt for the alternative Yarkon-Jerusalem water extraction pipeline. Using water pumps placed in the springs which flowed into the Yarkon River, water was flowing up to Sha'ar HaGai and then through additional pumps into the city of Jerusalem. The Rosh HaAyin springs were, during the period of the British Mandate in Palestine, the main and most important water resource of Jerusalem. They provided 13,000 cubic meters of water every day to the city residents.At the beginning of the 1950s Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
encouraged the Jewish settlement of the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
region. As a result he ordered the establishment of the Yarkon-Negev water pipeline. Three motors of old American destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s from the Second World War were converted into water pumps and were used to extract the water of the Yarkon River. Those pumps were buried under an armored hill in region of kibbutz Givat HaShlosha
Givat HaShlosha
Givat HaShlosha is a kibbutz in central Israel, about 4 km east of Petah Tikva, near the Yarkon river.A member of the Kibbutz Movement, it falls under the jurisdiction of Drom Hasharon Regional Council...
. The reason for the armoring of the water pumps was that the border with Jordan was located only 3 kilometers from the Yarkon springs and there was concern that the Jordanian Legion might shell the water pumps, thus putting a halt to the water supply of the Negev. The Yarkon-Negev pipeline was inaugurated in 1955 and in 1964 it was combined with the national water carrier system
National Water Carrier of Israel
The National Water Carrier of Israel is the largest water project in Israel. Its main task is to transfer water from the Sea of Galilee in the north of the country to the highly populated center and arid south and to enable efficient use of water and regulation of the water supply in the country...
.
During the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
the Yarkon-Negev pipeline drew about 90 percent of the water from the Yarkon River towards the residents of Tel Aviv and the residents of southern Israel. As a result, the flow of the river deteriorated down to 500 cubic meters an hour and at times the flow of the river completely stopped and the river channel began to clog and become a sanitary nuisance.
See also
- Yarkon National Park